Enough
by Lilly-Belle
Summary: Isabella has always loved Phineas, Phineas is still wonderful, but oblivious, and Ferb is there to comfort her time and time again when his brother shoots her down. Thus is born a love triangle they didn't see coming. Takes place the summer that they're seventeen. Mostly Ferbella, but Phinabella too.
1. Valintaversary

_This is my first fanfic… so we'll see how it goes! Enjoy!_

_Rated T to be safe… Nothing too graphic, but eventually there are some make out scenes with more detail than kids should read. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

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CHAPTER ONE:

Valintaversary

**ISABELLA**

_Today's the day, Isabella,_ I told myself as I looked in the mirror. _Today's the day he'll finally notice you as more than a friend_.

As always, I was going over Phineas and Ferb's house. Not everyone made it these days, of course. Despite being seventeen, Baljeet often took online college courses, and Buford was doing… well, whatever it was Buford did. We didn't see them on a daily basis, but Phineas, Ferb, and I were as close as ever.

Today, I wore a brand new yellow top and a pair of jeans. I hastily ran a brush through my hair, and rushed to the door, giving a quick shout to my mom as I left.

Thirty seconds later, I opened the door to Phineas and Ferb's backyard with a familiar swing of my arms. It was earlier than usual for us to meet up, but Phineas had said we were "getting a head start." My two favorite boys were sitting under the tree, which was a common sight. Less common, however, were the red, pink, and white papers strewn about on the grass.

"Hey Phineas, hey Ferb. What'cha doing?" I placed my hands behind my back, sauntering up to them.

"Oh hey, Isabella!" Phineas exclaimed, smiling up at me. "We're planning Valentine's Day!"

I blinked. Wait, had I just heard him right? Valentine's Day, in the middle of summer? I met Ferb's eyes, silently asking him if it could possibly by true.

Ferb had been my number one wingman for the past seven years, ever since we all tried to circle the globe and got stranded on an island. From that time on, he'd soothed my every down and supported each of my failed attempts to gain Phineas' attention.

As an answer, he pulled out a calendar—from where, I didn't know. It had a date circled, June 15th. It was Mr. and Mrs. Flynn-Fletchers's anniversary.

"Remember Valentine's Day earlier this year?" Phineas began. I had to hold back my scoff; of course I remembered Valentine's Day. As always, I'd flirted with Phineas, and as always, it went over his head. "Well Dad was out of town for an antique convention, and Mom didn't get to see him. So, Ferb and I had the idea to make it up to them by making today a half-Valentine's Day, half-anniversary mash up. A Valintaversary!"

Music, sweet music to my ears. This was perfect!

I sat down in the grass next to him. "Can I help?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed, standing up. "You and Ferb can start cutting out paper hearts, while I handle the flower delivery man. He's due to be here at any minute."

"Oh, okay," I smiled, though it quickly turned into a sigh as he bounded off. The years had been kind to both boys, but not to Phineas' cognizance of the opposite sex.

"New shirt?" Ferb chuckled. "Interesting color choice." After twelve years of knowing him, he'd long stopped avoiding talking when we were together.

"Shut up," I laughed, picking up a pair of scissors. I started cutting a heart out of a red piece of paper, eyeing the green-haired boy. He'd grown to enjoy teasing me, especially for things like wearing Phineas' favorite color. "I just thought he might like it. Bunch a good it did me."

"I think I like your red shirt from earlier this week better, but that's just me." He put down his sixth heart just as I put down my second.

"How do you do that so quickly?"

Phineas returned, holding a giant flower wreath in the shape of a heart. It was beautiful, made from roses and lilies. "We told Mom to keep her alarm clock off this morning. We should have a few hours to get everything set up. We were going to put hearts all over, flowers, maybe a romantic dinner. They'll love it."

I held up one of the hearts I'd cut out. "What do you think, Phineas?"

"Looks fine, Isabella," he said before hauling off the flower wreath.

"It is a little lopsided," Ferb commented, flinging one of his perfectly shaped hearts at me from his stack of finished ones.

"Hey, at least mine have character," I quipped back, pointing my scissors at him menacingly.

"Character? Is that what they call it these days?"

"Perfect little British boy," I muttered under my breath, and he laughed again. Phineas returned, carrying a small toolbox. I stood back up and fixed my shirt, whispering, "wish me luck," to Ferb.

I strolled over to Phineas. "Want help hanging the flowers?"

"Sure, that'd be great." He picked up the flowers and positioned them in the center of the fence. "Hold it here?" I held the wreath where he asked, and he nailed it in.

"Do you have a valentine, Phineas?" I asked, stepping in front of him so he couldn't run off to his next task. "Because I don't."

"Of course I don't," he laughed. "I've got enough work to do before Mom wakes up." He stepped around me started heading for the tree. "Oh, and don't worry about not having a valentine, Isabella," he called back. "If you want, I have plenty of tasks to go around. I was thinking of maybe getting an ice sculpture! What do you think? Too much?"

I could hear Ferb face palming from here. I sighed. Phineas being this oblivious when he was ten was cute and a little amusing. Now, when he was close to turning eighteen, it was more than just discouraging; it hurt. Every time something went over his head, I felt like my heart was getting poked with a stick. A sharp one.

I was about to answer his ridiculous ice sculpture question, when Ferb intervened.

"You know, there's plenty of room for work and fun, especially after Mum wakes up," he said slowly. "If neither of you have valentines, why don't you be each other's?"

I shot him a thankful look. He'd set that up perfectly! I followed Phineas to the tree, resisting the urge to bounce on my toes like a little girl.

"Where did that come from, Ferb?" I asked, playing along with a shaky laugh.

"Oh come on, Ferb," Phineas laughed, gathering up all of the paper hearts. "You know Isabella and I are just friends. Best friends, all three of us."

I swallowed hard. Phineas never responded as I would have liked to my attempts at flirting, but this time was different. He had the perfect opportunity to have me, and he outright said we were just friends. He'd put me on the same level as his brother, as if to say _best friends, all three of us, just like siblings_.

I could tell Ferb was looking at me, trying to gage my reaction. Phineas' rejection was just beginning to sink in, and I needed to get away. I started towards the house, but Ferb grabbed my hand on the way.

He raised his eyebrow, _you okay?_

I shook my head, tugging my hand out of his. I did not want to start crying, not here.

When my back was turned to both brothers, I called, "I'm going to grab a snack." Despite my efforts to keep my voice calm, it quivered, but Phineas didn't seem to notice. I was inside before he had time to respond.

Slamming the glass door behind me, I went straight past the kitchen and to the stairs. I ran right up them, flung myself into Ferb's room, and shut the door. I collapsed on his bed, the dark purple comforter familiar and soothing.

I'd cried here dozens of times, but this time, everything felt so… finite. I'd always feared that Phineas would never see me as more than a friend, but today, he confirmed it. I grabbed a pillow, burying my face in it so I wouldn't wake up any of the Flynn-Fletchers, still asleep and blissfully dreaming.

Phineas and I were just friends. He'd made that crystal clear. I let the tears come.

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_R/R please!_

_-Lilly-Belle_


	2. Best Friends

_So… I wrote twelve chapters before I published the first one, so I'm going to just publish these en masse. Hopefully people will eventually read it… … … _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

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CHAPTER TWO:

Best Friends

**FERB**

Once again, my brother won the award for Most Oblivious Person. He'd rejected Isabella, the sweetest girl in the universe, and he didn't even realize it. She'd just rushed into the house, probably running to my room with tears in her eyes.

"I'm going to grab a bite, too," I told Phineas, disappearing into the house.

I went up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I stopped at the second door down the hall, my room. After Candace left for college, I'd gotten her old room—after gallons of paint were used to make it look less like a unicorn's daydream. She used the spare bedroom in the basement when her college was on break.

Now the walls were a cool blue, with a simple desk, a reading chair, a bookshelf, and an England-style telephone box. Along the far wall of the room was my bed.

On top of it lied Isabella, her knees pulled to her chest and her face buried in my pillow. Her shoulders were shaking, and a small whimper escaped her lips.

It always killed me to see her this way. I silently cursed my brother. Phineas was a great guy, but he never noticed Isabella's affections, or how much he hurt her. Time and time again, she ended up here, crying on my bed, but in love with him, all the same.

"You okay?" I sat down, pulling her up into a sitting position and putting my arm around her shoulder. This much was familiar, comforting not only to her, but to me too.

Isabella's sniffles were the only answer I got. I pulled her face up, forcing her to look at me. Her big blue eyes were watery, and her nose was red.

"Isabella?"

"No, Ferb," she sniffed. "How could I be okay? You saw what happened down there! Once again, it was a perfect opportunity, but did Phineas care? Not at all. Never. He'll never see me as more than his good ol' pal, his swell chum, his… his…"

She let out a sob. A new set of tears spilled down her cheeks, but I used my thumbs to brush them away. Anytime now, she'd try to recoil, try to hide her face and run away from the discussion, but I didn't want that. It always broke my heart to see her sell herself short time and again.

"It's his loss."

"Oh sure," she laughed, the sound sharp and void of any humor. "I guess he just lost me to that line of boys traipsing at my heel. Ferb, don't you get it? I'll never be good enough."

"You're amazing, Isabella, and if Phineas can't see that, then that's too bad for him. You're intelligent and kind, driven and hardworking. You're probably the friendliest person I know, and you know just what to do to cheer people up."

"Feeling talkative today, are we?" she tried to joke, reaching for a tissue from my headboard. She wiped her nose, then, to my surprise, returned her cheek to my palm.

"Is it working?"

"Maybe a little," she mumbled. I started rubbing small circles on her cheek with my thumb, and her eyes fluttered closed.

"Good," I replied, my voice unexpectedly soft. With the hand that had been on her shoulder, I reached around her for a blanket folded in the upper corner of my bed. With a flick of my wrist, it spread-out, and I draped it over her legs. "You know I can't stand it when you're hurt."

With a sigh, she laid back down, her head in my lap.

"Why?" she asked, curling up and snuggling into my leg.

It was supposed to be an innocent question. It had always had a simple answer, _because you're my best friend. _But as I opened my mouth to say it, something stopped me. I thought about Isabella, all the times I'd comforted her because Phineas inadvertently broke her heart. Each time, I'd helped her mend it, only to support her as she went and got it broken again.

I realized I didn't like our routine. It went beyond not seeing her get hurt; I hated seeing her falling after my brother, hated seeing him ignore the most amazing girl in the world, hated that the only thing I could do to make it better was giving her a pep talk before sending her after him again.

I realized all too late that I had just crossed into extremely dangerous territory. She adjusted again, and my stomach went all flippety. I wasn't naive like Phineas; I knew exactly what that meant. But it was trouble.

"Ferb?" she sighed into my leg.

"Because… you're my best friend," I forced myself to say, because that's what she'd expect. Then, "I love it when you're happy," because I had to say something more.

Isabella was still for a long time, and I worried I'd crossed some line. But there wasn't even a line to cross, right? This was Isabella, and Isabella and my brother were meant to be. I was their sidekick, nothing more.

"Thanks, Ferb," she said with another sniffle. I felt a drop of wetness seeping into the fabric of my pants, and I realized she was still crying. I resisted the urge to run my hand through her hair like I usually would, though it took a lot of willpower. Apparently something had been building in me for years, something I hadn't realized was there, and today had pushed me over the edge. I had to be extremely careful with what I did now.

"You feeling up to going back downstairs?" I asked, unsure of how to handle the flurry of emotions cropping up inside me.

"I think-I think I'm done with Phineas for today. What he said earlier… it's hard to handle." Her voice quivered again, and she held her hand up in a recognizable gesture. I passed her a tissue. The movement between us was mechanical, familiar; she'd cried too many tears over this. "I should probably go home."

"Collect yourself," I commanded gently. "I'll tell Phineas that something came up, and that your mum needed you. I'll make sure he stays in the backyard so you can slip out the front door. Sound good?"

She nodded, which felt a little odd since her head was in my lap. Before I could think against it, I leaned over and pressed a short kiss against her temple. It was a perfectly brotherly gesture, right? Something one best friend would do to comfort the other?

I decided it would be best to nip any thoughts that could stem from that action in the bud, though. I shifted out from under her head, replacing my legs with the pillow. I made my way to the door, my back to her so she couldn't see my face.

"Stay as long as you need to. Phineas will be plenty distracted. And Isabella—" I paused, resting my hand on the doorframe.

"Hm?"

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

I didn't have to turn around to know that she smiled. "Of course."

I smiled too, and then left the room, heading to the backyard to rejoin my brother.

The rest of the day was pleasant; Mum and Dad loved what we'd done. Breakfast had been served in bed. The flowers were beautiful and hearts were everywhere. Phineas ended up carving an ice sculpture last minute, which had been met well.

My sister even invited Jeremy over, enjoying a separate dinner inside, which Phineas threw together for her with ease. It had been just as romantic as my parents'.

It had been unarguably successful. Phineas was happy, Candace was happy, our parents were happy. Everyone was happy, except the girl from across the way.

But I knew tomorrow would be a better day. It always was. I went to sleep with that thought every night: that every new day would be better. It was what drove my brother and I to do so many things.

That night, however, was a little different. Try as I might to avoid it, all I could think about was how much my pillow smelled like Isabella.

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_R/R please! Hopefully no flames (yay constructive criticism!) but in the end, you'll do what you want to do. Have a happy day!_

_And I'm aiming to establish Ferbella pretty soundly because it's the shipping that readers will struggle to accept more. So yes, Ferb talks to Isabella. I thought it'd be cute if they'd develop a bantering relationship. Eventually, this will get to Phineas ^.^ But my job is to make this a shipping war; I want you to like both! I'm still debating on the final shipping._


	3. Digging Deeper

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb_

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CHAPTER THREE:

Digging Deeper

**ISABELLA**

Day one after what I'd mentally begun calling "The Valintaversary Disaster" had been the hardest. I got to listen to Phineas talk about how successful and romantic the day had been. It raked against my confidence and reeked with wasted potential, but Ferb quickly intervened by placing a stack of blank blueprints and a pencil in front of his brother.

It hadn't been long before Phineas exclaimed, "I know what we're going to do today!" He presented his plans for laser tag in a spherical balloon maze and dashed off to the garage in search for tools.

Ferb knew me well enough to sense that I wanted to leave yesterday behind me, and wisely didn't ask if I was okay. Phineas kept being his jovial self as he came back with a toolbox, and everything played out as any day had for the past decade.

I embraced the week with as much optimism as possible. We had a day of extreme go-karting, which Buford and Baljeet showed up for. They showed up the next day too, and it felt like we were all ten again. We had a day of board games… on the moon. The next day, we built robot doppelgangers of the whole gang. The next, we solved a 1940s murder mystery put on for us by Ferb, and I got my Investigative Detective patch. Day after day had been fun, and my stress started to dwindle.

The following week, Phineas and Ferb agreed to help me with my Senior Fireside Girl Community Service Project patch. Phineas called everybody to arms—Buford and Baljeet, along with Ginger, Adyson, Milly, Holly, Katie, and Gretchen from Troop 46231.

We all met in Danville Park, where we'd be replanting trees, weeding, and repainting old benches. It wasn't anything extravagant, but it just felt good to have the old gang together.

"Okay, everybody, split into groups," Adyson called to the group. "That way we can get as much work done as possible."

"Good idea!" Ginger exclaimed, springing up next to Baljeet out of nowhere. "I'll go with Baljeet!" The Indian boy's cheeks turned red, but he sure as heck didn't protest as she dragged him away.

Everyone else split up pretty quickly, too, leaving me with Phineas and Ferb. Really, there wouldn't have been any other outcome; everyone knew how close we were. We got sapling duty, which definitely wasn't the worst thing in the world.

Between the three of us, the day passed by pretty quickly. We actually had a lot of fun, tossing dirt at each other and cracking jokes whenever Buford complained so loudly that we could hear him from halfway across the park.

Across a small stone path, we saw Baljeet and Ginger doing some weeding. From here, we could hear Ginger giggling at some lame joke Baljeet had made, but they looked like they were having a great time too.

"Wow," Phineas remarked as we turned to start planting a new sprout.

"What?" I asked, digging my spade into the soil.

"Baljeet and Ginger…" he said, placing the seedling into the ground. "Something's sure going on between the two of them, don't you think?"

I stared at him with my eyebrows raised. "What?"

"Well she clearly likes him, and I think he likes her back. I'm surprised they're not dating by now."

I just continued to stare at him.

"What?" he asked, still smiling that oblivious smile of his.

"So you can tell she likes him?"

"Yeah," he said without a hitch. "It's pretty obvious, don't you think?"

"Who do you think Katie likes?" I asked coolly.

"I'm not entirely sure," he said, standing up and prepping to move to our next planting spot. "If I had to guess, I'd say Django."

"You're right," I replied, not bothering to hide my shock. Ferb and I picked up our gardening tools and followed.

We made it to the new site without anyone talking, and I dropped down on the ground. We started digging, and Phineas still hadn't said anything, so I decided to see where this could go.

"Hey Phineas, who do you think _I_ like?" I asked innocently. Next to me, Ferb made a choking sound in the back of his throat; my boldness had surprised him.

I didn't know what I expected from Phineas. Maybe he'd freeze cold and look at me like a deer stuck in headlights. Maybe he'd suddenly become clumsy, and stutter out an awkward response after being put on the spot. Maybe he'd do something—anything—to reveal that he suspected I liked him.

Instead, he let out a chuckle.

"You're a hard one, Isabella," he responded. "I could never tell with you. I just assumed you didn't like anybody."

Ferb let out a snort. Out of habit, he was about to face palm, before remembering that his hands were covered in dirt. He stopped short, but I grabbed his wrist and moved it forward the rest of the way, laughing at the dirt that now covered his forehead.

He shot me a look that said, _oh gee, thanks_,but the humor was short lived as I turned my attention back to Phineas.

"You really can't tell if I like anybody?" I asked incredulously.

"I don't know," Phineas laughed and waved his hand around in mock contemplation. "Let's go with Ferb."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ferb's hand tighten on his spade. He promptly looked away. Probably just holding back a laugh.

I, on the other hand, didn't find Phineas' joke funny. A dozen responses flittered through my mind. Most of them would hurt. Some hurtful to Phineas. Some hurtful to me. But Phineas' response had already stung—he was more oblivious than I ever could have dreamed!—so why cause more pain? I bit my tongue.

Phineas continued on like nothing happened, launching into the topic of tomorrow's plans. I always liked listening to Phineas' ideas because he was so passionate and filled with curiosity.

But that was the problem.

I liked Phineas because he was helpful, confident, creative, fun, smart, brave, carefree, and so many great things. He was filled with child-like wonder. But those things I loved him for were the ones that kept him from me. Kept him from ever realizing how I felt. Kept him from _truly_ noticing me.

I hadn't felt hopelessness quite like I did in that second, crashing down on me like waves. It swept up into my mind, pressing what I knew up into jagged peaks, before ripping away.

Phineas would never be aware of how I felt about him. That was just who he was.

I nodded in agreement when Phineas asked me a question—never mind what it was—and he continued on his tangent. He only slowed as other people started converging on our location. Ferb shot me a worried look, but I managed to put on a smile. It wasn't genuine, but I could at least do convincing.

"I think," a paint-covered Adyson announced with a grin, "that we just earned our Community Service Project patch!"

Everyone cheered, except Buford, of course. I was pretty pleased with my ability to shout along with them, since I just wanted to curl up right now.

From across the group, Ginger shot me a questioning glance, but I sent her a look that said, _later. _Other than Ferb, Ginger was the best at reading me. I could talk to her about everything later, and she could tell me how things went with Baljeet.

Until then, I just really wanted to go home.

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R/R please!


	4. Rambling

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

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CHAPTER FOUR:

Rambling

**FERB**

I drove Phineas and Isabella home after everyone said their goodbyes at the park. I was pleased that Phineas was at least mindful enough of the opposite sex to offer Isabella the front seat.

The way she accepted it bothered me, though. On any normal day, a chivalrous act from Phineas, no matter how small, would make her insanely happy. Today, she just accepted with a thank you and one of her fake smiles.

We made it back to our house, and Phineas went to the backyard. He sat down under the tree and pulled out some blueprints.

"It's never too late to get a head start on tomorrow's planning," he enthused, motioning for Isabella and I so sit next to him.

"Actually, Phineas, my mom just wanted me to call her real quick," Isabella said coolly. She turned on her heel and went inside. From the other side of the glass she shot me a sad look before heading towards the stairs.

I waited a good three minutes before announcing, "I'm going to run to the lou."

"Okay," Phineas replied, going back to his blueprints. I went straight to my room.

I expected Isabella to be dolefully crying on my bed, lamenting Phineas' massive obliviousness. I did not expect to see her standing near the window, close enough where she could see Phineas, but not so close that he could see her from down below. Her face was dry and had a stern expression.

"Ferb, what's wrong with me?" she asked in a dejected voice, not even turning around. Her demeanor was entirely new territory; she looked so… defeated. That was more disturbing than any amount of tears.

I could tell she didn't actually want a response, so I kept quiet.

"He can see other people's affections. Ginger likes Baljeet. Katie liked Django. He nailed it. He wasn't oblivious when it came to them. But he can't tell with me." She ran a hand over her eyes out of tiredness. "He pretty much said he couldn't see me liking much of anybody."

I walked over to her and pulled her to the bed. She dropped on it without much care, and buried her face in her hands. She didn't say anything else for a minute, so I decided it was my turn to talk.

I grabbed her chin, forcing her face up, but I quickly retracted my hand. "Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, absolutely nothing is wrong with you."

"Sure," she muttered with a surprising amount of bitterness.

"You're the most amazing person I know."

"I've heard that before. From my mom, from you, hell, even from Phineas. It just doesn't feel… true anymore."

I realized this conversation would be like a tightrope; I'd be walking a fine line between comforting her and exposing how I felt. But it was so hard! I thought sad Isabella was bad, but defeated Isabella was downright painful. I felt the overwhelming urge to make her feel better, no matter what.

"It is true. You're brave, and so strong. Stronger than you think. Look at all we've dragged you through," I laughed. "Terrifying haunted houses, wacky machines, circling the globe, time travel, space missions."

Isabella chuckled a little at this, though not with much humor.

"And you're absolutely beautiful, with your long dark hair and big blue eyes" I continued without a hitch. "Your cuteness literally saved the world."

"When I was ten," she said.

"Yes, but you're so much more than that now. You are a confident young woman whose beauty could save the whole universe if Meap ever showed back up. You've got the best sense of humor, the biggest heart, and—"

"Ferb, stop," she cried. Finally, a single tear trickled down her cheek, and I moved to wipe it away. Her big doe eyes looked up at me thankfully, and I felt that familiar pang in my stomach.

_She loves Phineas! _I reminded myself. My hand instantly recoiled, but Isabella caught my wrist. Her eyes flashed with confusion and pain, so I moved it back to her cheek.

"Don't you see, Ferb? None of that matters. A bunch of good those qualities do if Phineas can't see past his nose. I'm not noticed _that way_. I'll never be good enough to have those feelings returned_._"

"Isabella, it's impossible _not_ to notice you. The way your hair falls over your shoulder when you're really concentrating. The passionate way you work with the Fireside Girls or help others. The sexy way you walk, with so much confidence. The shy way you clasp your hands behind your back when you're flirty."

"Ferb—"

"The tense way you play with your clothes when you're nervous or upset, and your hair when you're embarrassed. The quirky way you keep the different kinds of food on your plate even, so it comes down to one last bite of everything, saving your favorite for last. You're always there for your friends, even strangers. Your smile is infectious."

"Ferb—" she tried again, her voice hushed to a whisper.

"You're so infectious that you got me to ramble. _Me,_ rambling." She let out a weak laugh, and I had to smile. "Naturally, I'll deny it if you ever tell anyone. But that's just _you._ You make everyone feel so comfortable.

"You shine so brightly on everyone else," I sighed, my voice hushing like hers had, "that you forget to keep a little light for yourself, to remember how amazing you are."

Isabella stared at me in stunned silence. Her long-lashed eyes were wide, and her lips trembled just slightly. At first, I was worried she was going to cry, but no tears came. She'd long stopped trying to pull away, gazing at me with a flurry of emotions—pain and confusion, like before, but also some new ones. Surprise. A tired hopefulness. Maybe something else, something I couldn't identify.

I took a deep breath; there was no point in censoring myself now. "_Never_ say that you're not good enough to be loved. If the boy that made you feel that were anyone but my brother, I swear they'd be dead by now, because that's the farthest thing from the truth. You're… you're frustratingly easy to love, Isabella."

She didn't speak, and I'd just about exhausted my word count for the next year. We sat in silence, never losing each other's eyes. I'd looked into them several times for years, but this time was different. Something had been morphed, some bolt in our bridge loosened or lost. My mind was going fuzzy, and I couldn't look away.

Whatever was happening, I could see she was experiencing it too. There was a strange pull about her, like a magnet, and I didn't even realize how close we'd gotten. Our foreheads touched, and I could only think, _should I do this? _ _Is this what she wants?_ But we were already this far, and she hadn't pulled away yet… Bloody hell, I couldn't go back now.

I slid my hand behind her neck and pulled her forward the rest of the way. My lips crashed onto hers, and I fought the urge to smile against her soft mouth. I expected her to push me away, to run from the room and avoid me for life; I wasn't Phineas, after all. But Isabella did none of those things. It only took a second of my lips on hers before she kissed me back with fervor.

One of my hands slid to her waist, the other inching further into ebony tresses, feeling the thick strands run through my fingers. In return, she slid a hand into my hair, her fingers grazing behind my ear and sending a chill down my spine. Her other hand was pressed against my chest, leisurely making its way up to my shoulder.

She gave a little whimper of satisfaction, slowly moving closer. The distance between us decreased with every movement of our lips, but it still wasn't enough. I pulled her in, quickly extinguishing the space between us until she was practically on my lap, but neither of us complained.

Her fingers danced along my scalp, sending electric shocks into my brain. Part of it said, _what are you doing? This is Isabella. She's Phineas' girl, _but that thought was quickly slain as another small whimper escaped the girl in my arms. She pulled against me harder, but there was no more distance to be closed. It was maddening, opening a whole new world of sensation and want.

I didn't want it to end, but when Phineas' laughter resounded from downstairs, we snapped apart. Isabella practically fell backwards off of me, scurrying as far away as the bed permitted. She had a deer-in-the-headlights look, and was out of breath. She met my eyes once, quickly, before taking a sudden interest in the floor. She wrung the hem of her shirt in her hands nervously.

"Um, I-I should go," she mumbled, standing and flinging herself to the door. I followed after as she flew down the stairs, but that was as far as I went. Phineas was by the front door, laughing and talking on the house phone, which meant he was right in the middle of Isabella's escape route.

"Isabella?" he asked, as she rushed right past him, her head down and turned in the other direction. Without a word, she opened the door, and was gone, the sound of it slamming trailing behind her.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_This was pretty fun to write! No flames, please. Write and let write, ship and let ship, all that fun stuff… I think it's more accurate for Phineas' character to let things build; he's going to be oblivious for a little while, but things are going to get to him eventually._


	5. What Happened

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb_

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE:

What Happened

**FERB**

"What the—" Phineas rubbed the back of his head, bewildered. "Hey, Dad, I have to go… Yeah, I'll tell Mom you'll be a little late. Okay… bye" He returned the phone to a small table near the bottom of the stairs.

"Was that Isabella leaving?" Mum called from the kitchen. She appeared by the bottom of the stairs, drying a pan with a towel. "I didn't get to say goodbye."

"Yeah, none of us did," Phineas muttered in confusion. Then he noticed me. With a few bounds, he was up the steps and next to me. "I think something was wrong with Isabella."

_No duh,_ I thought from the top of the stairs, but I said nothing.

"You think I should go check up on her? She left so quickly."

"Let her be for today. I think she just needs some time to herself," I suggested.

"If you say so," he said. Then he looked down at his wristwatch. "I suppose we can finish our blueprints. Come on, Ferb."

I absent-mindedly trailed Phineas to his bedroom, unable to focus on much of anything. My lips still tingled. Remnants of her taste lingered on them, and my mind quickly strayed from Phineas' comments on which screws to use.

_What just happened_? I thought, hoping my face wasn't red. I'd kissed Isabella. She'd kissed me back. More than that, we'd made out on my bed. And the scary part was that I'd loved it. Isabella had always been my best friend, other than Phineas, but I couldn't deny I had feelings for her. Strong ones.

_Us_ had never really been an option, since the overbearing fact that she was in love with my brother hung over every conversation, permeated every interaction. But looking at her today, so hurt and feeling she wasn't good enough, something snapped in me. I liked her. A lot. And I suddenly hadn't been able to resist acting on those feelings.

"Ferb?" Phineas interrupted my thoughts, and I forced myself to focus on him. "I asked you a question."

I raised my eyebrow, indicating he needed to repeat himself. He gave an exasperated sigh.

"I said, what happened to your hair?"

_Oh boy. _I stood up, making my way to a mirror that hung in the hall. I had to hold back a laugh; my hair was crazily disheveled, sticking up in odd ways after Isabella had run her hand through it.

Her ghost touch still burned along my neck, and I had to mentally scold myself to focus again. I'd never realized what a threat a girl could be one's attention span.

"I thought I'd try out a new hair style. What do you think?" I smiled at my brother, unable to keep my laugh to myself as he eyed my messy crop.

"So that's what took you so long in the bathroom, huh?" he laughed.

Bathroom? Oh yeah, my excuse for running after Isabella. For once, I was really happy Phineas was so oblivious. My thoughts drifted back to the events in my bedroom, and I merely nodded, not even bothering to hide my smirk.

* * *

**ISABELLA**

My heart nearly jumped out of my throat when I saw Phineas blocking the door. I knew I'd get questioned for it later, but I shoved right past him, not letting him see my face. I was still frustrated with him. Plus, I didn't know how I would act around him after what just happened with Ferb.

What happened with Ferb… The whole thing replayed in my head. He'd said all those things about me, some of which I didn't even realize I did. He had noticed me, everything about me.

And then there was the kiss. God, that kiss…

"Hey, Isabella!"

For the second time that day, I almost jumped out of my skin. I had just been walking up the sidewalk to my front door, about to go in, when I noticed Ginger walking up the path.

"What's up?" she asked, bounding up and hugging me. My mind was so fogged over after everything, that I had no clue how to respond, even to such a simple question.

"Uh…"

But that's what best friends were there for, I suppose. She looked into my eyes, took in my one word response, and instantly pulled me into my house with a shriek of, "what happened?" She dragged me up to my room so adamantly that I thought she might tug my arm off.

"I knew something was up with you earlier! I can see in your eyes something happened, so spill!" Ginger squealed. She was practically jumping up and down in giddiness.

"Nothing happened." I tried to brush it off, but lying wasn't exactly doable to Ginger. We could read each other and had our own language, both verbal and non.

"Come on," she whined, dragging me to my bed. "I know that's a lie, so _spill_! What happened between you and Phineas?"

I winced; this would be hard to explain. "Nothing happened with Phineas. I tried to get him to notice me earlier today, but just as always, he was the same oblivious Phineas. He wasn't even fazed. More than that, actually. He pretty much cemented his obliviousness for life'."

Ginger's face soured at this, but that didn't keep her from prompting me with an, "And…" Apparently, there was no getting anything past her.

"We made it back to their house, and I went to Ferb's room, like I always do when Phineas upsets me." I slipped off my bed and moved to examine the bookshelves in the corner of my room. I thought that maybe if I could feign interest in them, it would put an end to "girl talk."

There was a long silence, and I hoped that I'd actually been successful at ending the conversation there. Naturally, the universe didn't seem to be on my side.

"You're holding back on me," Ginger decided.

I sighed. There really was no point in trying to hide it; Ginger would be able to tell. Plus, it might be nice to have someone to talk to about it.

"He kissed me," I declared, not taking my eyes off my books.

I enjoyed one last moment of silence, before, "WHAT? Wait, wait, wait. You mean, Phineas, he—"

"No, Ginger," I said as calmly as possible. "Like I said, nothing happened with Phineas." I turned and made my way back to the bed, plopping down in defeat and hiding my face in my hands.

"Ferb. I went to his room, like I always do. He came in to comfort me, like he always does, but something was different. He started talking, I mean _really talking_. A monologue, about all these things he thought about me. What he had noticed about me. I think he first meant it to be a sort of pep talk, but it felt more like… more of a confession."

"Yeah? And?" Ginger prompted.

"And then," I took a deep breath, "he kissed me. I didn't even realize it, but somehow we ended up right… _right there,_ so close his breath tickled, and, after a second, he pulled me to him, and we kissed."

Ginger was quiet for so long, I couldn't resist the urge to peak at her through my fingers. Her face held an expression somewhere between giggly fan girl and absolutely dumbstruck.

"Oh jeese," I grumbled. "What are you thinking?"

"I think," Ginger began slowly, "I want to know details! What was it like? How did it feel? Does Phineas know? What did you say afterwards?"

"No, Phineas doesn't know. And it felt…" I paused. Wow, that was a loaded question. I hadn't had the time to process everything. Absent-mindedly, my fingers drifted to my lips. _How did it feel?_

"Oh my god…" Ginger said, grabbing my arm excitedly. "You kissed him back, didn't you? Did you like it?"

"I didn't say that," I retorted, crossing my arms defensively.

"Just answer the question," she demanded. "Details!"

I thought about the kiss, how it felt, and I realized I had liked it. But what did that mean? "I kissed him back," I confessed. "My mind went kinda fuzzy. His hand was in my hair, the other on my waist. All those things he'd said were stuck in my head, and I… I just went with it. I didn't even realize I was on his lap before—"

"On his _lap_?" she questioned, raising her eyebrow, but I chose to ignore her and keep going.

"Before we heard Phineas downstairs. We broke apart, and I ran. Right down the stairs, past Phineas, out the door, and here. You know the rest."

"Oh Isabella, that's so romantic!" Ginger squealed, her fangirling side taking over.

"No, it's-it's all backwards!" I stood up, flinging my arms out in in exasperation. "I'm in love with Phineas, not Ferb. Phineas!"

"You sure?" Ginger asked, sprawling out on my bed and coming to rest on her elbow.

"Of course… I've always loved Phineas." But even as I said it, I felt the question in my voice. I ran my fingers through my hair, and it brought back Ferb's touches from earlier. Yes, I'd always loved Phineas, but what happened earlier… I couldn't just forget that.

I'd never considered Ferb _that_ way, but I couldn't ignore the possibility, not now. I could still feel where he touched my hip, my cheek, my hair. I could practically feel his chest on the edges of my fingertips.

"Ginger, you can't tell anyone. Not until I figure things out."

Things just got _way_ too complicated.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Maybe I'll leave it at chapter five until I get one review… when I get one, I'll post more chapters (heaven knows I have plenty…)_

_Anyhoo, until then, Lilly is out. Peace!_


	6. Analyze

_Yay! The first appearance of Phineas as a point of view! He was fun and cute to write._

_And yes, I just decided to keep on posting. Someday, this will have reviews..._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER SIX:

Analyze

**PHINEAS**

My alarm clock read 1:26 a.m., but I couldn't sleep.

Usually I slept remarkably well, with a few rare exceptions; sometimes my mind would be bursting with inspiration for a new creation, and I just had to jot it down.

But I knew what that felt like. When I had to create, it was like an itch. I could get a piece of paper, draw a few things and run a few formulas, then fall asleep in a matter of ten minutes, itch relieved and rest found.

Tonight was different, though, and I couldn't pin down why. So I did what I always did when I was troubled: analyze.

Today had been pretty great. We hadn't built anything, but doing that community service project with Isabella had been pretty fun too. We were all pretty much covered in dirt, head to toe, by the time we got home. Mom, of course, hadn't been too pleased, but we soothed her with the argument that we got dirty for a good cause.

Today I'd had the idea to build a mind-reading machine, and Ferb and Isabella seemed on board. Like it always did, my mind jumped into schematics. I saw the wiring and hidden mechanisms for my plans as if they were the connections and plasticity in my own brain. As soon as we made it home, I was eager to jot it down on paper.

Isabella quickly excused herself, saying she needed to call her mom. I thought that was odd, since she would be heading home soon anyway, but I chose to ignore it. In front of me, the blueprint sheet was a blank canvas, just waiting to be filled with Big Ideas to seize the day.

At some point into drawing my Thought Machine—did I want it to be a scanner? A hat? Something out of the ordinary, like a mind-reading bowtie?—Ferb disappeared to the bathroom, and I was suddenly alone outside.

I stayed there for a few minutes, just enjoying the feeling of the outdoors, but it was quickly losing its pragmatism. The sun was setting, and the air started to gain that evening nip. I would do better inside.

I went through the kitchen, where Mom was doing the dishes, and was about to bolt up the stairs, when the phone rang. Dad had called to say he got in a new antique in the shop, and would be late. He could be so dorky sometimes, spending hours researching and ogling over an old chair or even a hairbrush. But that was my dad for you.

Then Isabella had run down the stairs, rushed right by me, and left without a word. She'd tried to hide her face, but I saw the distraught look on it as she came down the stairs. It seemed like she didn't want me to know she was upset, but why? What upset her in the first place?

The alarm bells started going off in my head; I'd found the source of my troubles. I couldn't sleep after she stormed out of here, slamming the door and refusing to talk about it. But what could I do about that at 1:30 in the morning? Much to my surprise, what I really wanted most of all was to see Isabella. I wanted to make absolute sure she was okay.

But that wasn't possible, was it? Ferb said I should leave her alone for the day… that's what I should do. I should just close my eyes, go to sleep, and start tomorrow fresh. That's what I should do. I should do that._ So do it, Phineas! _I forced my eyes closed.

I tossed once. Then I tossed again. I could practically here a _tick tock_ coming from the clock on my nightstand, and my clock was digital. Digital, for crying out loud! I peeked through one of my eyes at its glowing face. 1:31. _Screw it!_

With a groan, I swung my legs out of bed and ran my hands over my face. I got up, slid a pair of pajama pants over my boxers, and tossed on a hoodie that was drooped over my chair. I ran a hand through my hair before leaving my room and slipping down the stairs.

Halfway down, the steps creaked under my feet. I froze on the spot, glancing at the top of the stairs nervously. But why was I nervous? Sure, I was sneaking out of my house, but I was just going across the way to make sure Isabella was alright. My parents would be perfectly fine with that.

So why was I nervous?

Remembering my mission, I crept down the rest of the stairs, past the front door, through the kitchen, and out the back door, which was quieter. I didn't quite know why I didn't want to get caught; it wasn't logical, but something just seemed embarrassing about sneaking off to see Isabella in the middle of the night.

I was across the street in half of a minute, but then a new issue presented itself… Do I just knock? Everyone would be asleep. Will Isabella's mom be alright with me being here? No, I shouldn't knock.

I took a few steps back, grabbing a small pebble from the line of rocks that led up to her door. I tossed it up to her window, but it was so tiny that I couldn't even hear it hit. _Come on, Flynn, you'll have to do better than that._

I frantically looked back down at the rocks, searching for a larger pebble to throw, when the sound of a window opening caught me off guard. I looked up and was surprised to see Isabella's head pop out of it. She squinted her eyes in the darkness, scanning my face. Recognition played across her features.

"Phineas? Phineas, what are you doing here?"

Instead of responding, I motioned for her to come down.

"Phineas, I'm not sure if that's a good idea," she half-whispered, half-called down. That threw me for a loop; the last thing I expected her to do was protest.

"Come on, Isabella, I need to talk to you," I called back up with the same hushed tone.

She was silent for a few seconds, clearly debating, but she finally nodded her head. "Backyard," she mouthed, and disappeared.

It was hard to really tell what she said in the dark, but it wasn't that hard to figure it out; she'd know as well as I had that it was easier to sneak out of the back door. I made my way there, watching the moonlight ripple across the surface of her pool as I waited for her to make her way down, but I didn't have to wait long.

Quicker than I expected, I heard her back door slide open, then closed, and I turned around. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that she was in her pajamas, but it was weird to see her dressed… like _this._

She was in light blue shorts, tiny ones that she most definitely didn't wear out in public, and a dark gray tank top. Her hair was piled up in a sloppy bun on the top of her head—something else I never got to see.

"Phineas, what are you doing here?" she practically hissed.

I ignored her question and pulled her into a hug. She went still in my arms, and I pulled back, my hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" I asked, scanning her face for traces of the distress she had tried to hide earlier. "You looked so… perturbed when you left earlier, like you were holding back tears. And you didn't even say goodbye. You _never_ leave without saying goodbye."

"Wait, so you came over here because I didn't say goodbye?"

"Because you were upset," I corrected. "I couldn't sleep. It was driving me crazy. I'm sorry if I woke you up, but I—"

"Oh, I was awake," she said in an almost sardonic tone. The implications of her words slowly crept up on me.

"Isabella, why couldn't you sleep?" I asked worriedly, and she looked down at her bare feet.

She didn't respond, so I tugged her over to one of the pool chairs near the edge of the water. She sat down without argument, still refusing to meet my eyes. "I was just… preoccupied," she finally said.

Her hands moved up to rub her arms, and I realized she might have been cold. I considered giving her my hoodie, but I didn't have a shirt on underneath. Then I realized she was trying not to shiver, and I decided I might as well; at least I had pants and shoes. I pulled off my hoodie and gave it to her.

"What—?" She looked at the hoodie, then stared at me like I had dropped from outer space. No, that was pretty common for us. She looked at me like I was from somewhere even weirder than space.

"You're cold," I said, sitting down on the end of the same pool chair.

"But… but…"

"But what?" I asked. "I know it might be a little big, but it's the best I can do." She still looked dumbstruck, bordering on absolutely incredulous.

"But you—and earlier… and you're always—but then the _rambling_ and all of _that_, and now _this_," she waved the hoodie in her hands, "and I—but you-you… you're just—"

I could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears, like she still couldn't quite make sense of it. She looked down at the hoodie in her hands like she was going to scream at it.

"—But earlier… and even earlier than that—and in the room, with all the anger, and-and—and now _here_—Phineas Flynn," she finally looked back up at me. "I… You… wait—why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Haha Izzy's head may just explode like it did in Paris._


	7. Simple

_A little something to appease the Phinabella fans until this story develops more!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN:

Simple

**ISABELLA**

The process of my mind exploding could only have been cut off by the realization that Phineas was shirtless. The moonlight reflected off my pool with a silvery glow, and I suddenly felt like I'd been transported onto the cover of some cliché romance novel.

"You know, a simple thank you would do," Phineas said. "Honestly, it's what friends do, right?" He crossed his arms over his newly bared chest in an almost… self-conscious way? Huh. Weird.

I just sat there. I'm sure my eyes were wide, and a good minute passed before I managed to stutter a thanks. Phineas rolled his eyes, snatching the hoodie from my hands, which had gotten balled up during my—confusion? Fit? Whatever that was. Nothing made sense!

_I convince myself that Phineas would forever be oblivious, then Ferb kisses me, then, for the first time ever, Phineas notices that I'm upset and shows up in the middle of the night, offering me his sweatshirt—all the while leaving himself shirtless—just to make sure I am alright. Meanwhile, said boy number one sleeps, blissfully unaware of the meeting with said second boy, but only after the possibility of Ferb has firmly planted itself into my mind._

_What the hell, Universe? _I mentally screamed.

"You know, Isabella, it does its job better if you wear it," Phineas laughed, straightening out the hoodie.

I held my hand out for it and nodded numbly, my brain overwhelmed by the day's events. The cloth touched the tips of my fingers, and I fumbled with it clumsily. Phineas laughed again, grabbing my arm and pulling it through the sleeve. He did that with my second arm, then brought it up over my head.

"Isn't that better?" he asked, an almost smug smile on his face. I nodded again, suddenly engulfed in the warmth that used to be Phineas.

"Thanks," I managed, my voice a little stronger this time. Phineas' smile morphed into the genuine one I'd known for years.

"Like I said, it's what friends do."

Wow. You know, I was suddenly so warm, and so freaking surprised that Phineas had come over, that that comment didn't quite bother me as much as it usually would.

"Of course," I mumbled in response, pulling on the edges of the sleeves anxiously.

For an insane second, I knew my world had been turned upside down, because Phineas started leaning towards me. _Leaning _towards _me… _Only to stand up. Of course he was leaning forward to stand up. Of course.

"I have to get back before someone notices I'm gone," Phineas said. He started making his way to the gate, stopped, came back and gave me a hug, then went back to the gate again. "I hope I made you feel better, though."

"Sure," I barely squeaked.

"Don't worry about my hoodie," he said, opening the gate. "Just give it to me tomorrow. We have a big day planned, and we both need our sleep. We don't want to let Ferb down, right?"

With those unintentionally haunting words, Phineas left._ Don't want to let Ferb down._ That was it, my mind was officially mulch, liquid granite that I could taste on the tip of my tongue and in the back of my throat.

_Universe, what the legitimate hell?_

I think I sat there for a few more minutes. It was impossible to tell how long exactly, but the cold was starting to seep back into the sweatshirt, and I wanted to hold on to the warmth as long as possible.

Thus, I went back inside. I walked up the stairs, I went to my room, I stepped over Ginger's sleeping form, and I collapsed on my bed.

But I didn't sleep.

I just stared at the ceiling for a few more hours.

* * *

**PHINEAS**

I had just stepped inside and shut the back door behind me when I realized that I hadn't _actually_ gotten Isabella to tell me what was wrong in the first place.

"Crap!" I hissed under my breath, unable to hold back my face palm. Honestly, I had to resist the urge to just bang my forehead against the door altogether. Then, I heard the creak of a floorboard behind me.

"What's wrong, Phineas?" a voice asked in the darkness. "Didn't want to get caught?"

* * *

_R/R please!_

_I had fun with the cliffhanger. Phineas is busted!_

_This chapter is shorter than all the others, but I feel it has what it needs._


	8. Busted

_Haha! A whopping one review! I'll post a few more now._

_And I'll level with you… the way that the next five chapters have been written, and how the characters develop as I write them, I'm leaning towards a Ferbella ending, but not before there's plenty of Phinabella drama thrown into the fray._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT:

Busted

**PHINEAS**

The lamp on one of our end tables snapped to life, revealing very smug-looking Candace. With a smirk, she slowly tightened the rope of her bathrobe. Then she brushed some hair wisps out of her face. When she was satisfied, she moved on to study her fingernails, taking her time before she addressed me with a harsh whisper.

"Phineas Flynn, you are _so_ busted."

She had a distinct air of superiority, victory, and self-satisfaction. Not that I could blame her, of course. I mean, she just caught her kid brother sneaking back into the house shirtless. That was big sister gold.

"Candace, I can explain," I stuttered, but I could already feel my face heating up. Why the heck was I blushing? I shouldn't be blushing. I had just popped over to make sure Isabella was okay. I was being a good friend. Nothing wrong with that.

"I'm sure you can," she said back, thankfully keeping her voice down to a whisper, "but before you say anything else, where's Ferb? How could he have come in without me catching him?" Her eyes glittered with an odd hunger, like she never expected the day she'd catch Ferb and I doing anything wrong.

"Ferb's in bed," I shot back. This clearly surprised her.

"But you two do everything together."

"Not when I'm breaking the rules," I retorted. She scoffed and crossed her arms, a clear _touché_ gesture.

"Fine. I just, I have to know… why did you sneak out of the house in pajama pants and… no shirt?" Her eyebrows knit together in confusion, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"First, how did you catch me?" I asked in return.

"Phineas, I'm sleeping _in the basement._ Do you know how creaky these floorboards are? Seriously, hon, if you're finally going to start breaking the rules, you've got a lot to learn."

I laughed quietly, rubbing the back of my head: my _touché _gesture to her.

"Now you get to answer _my_ question. Pajama pants and no shirt. Really?"

"I _left_ with a shirt on," I whispered defensively.

"_Left _with one? What happened, get attacked by a shirt-stealing mob of gorillas?" She was chuckling now, struggling to keep it quiet. I crossed my arms and stared at the floor.

"No."

"Start a new nighttime fashion line, got desperate, then sold the clothes off your back?" she was cracking up something fierce now.

"No, I—"

"Built a laser ray powered by moonlight that—"

"Look, Isabella was cold, so I gave it to her."

Candace's laughter stopped instantly. Her entire demeanor changed. She stood up straighter, her eyes became gentler, and her face went from smug to surprised.

"You were with Isabella?" she asked, her voice suddenly softer now, too.

"Yeah," I said hesitantly, confused by the tone of her voice.

"You were just meeting up with her? Only her? Just now," she clarified, her head tilting to the side like she couldn't process what I was saying. What was with girls doing that tonight?

"Yes," I answered again. "She was upset earlier, and I didn't know why. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd check up on her. Make sure she was okay, you know?"

Candace was quiet for a minute, and then a small smile crept across her face.

"Sure, Phineas. I know." She turned around, making her way back down the hall.

"Wait," I called in a whisper. "What about me being busted?"

Candace waved her hand dismissively from the top of the basement stairs.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but tonight you're off the hook… Just go to bed before Mom or Dad catch you, okay?" With that, she disappeared.

_What the heck was going on tonight?_

* * *

**ISABELLA**

My bed shook as someone sat down on it, not jarring me awake, but bringing me back to a semi-aware state. Morning sunlight beat against my eyelids, trying its hardest to pull me out of bed, but I wouldn't have that.

My few hours of sleep were as black as my mother's bitter coffee. I doubted I had slept deeply enough to dream, but I was okay with that. Who knew what kinds of horrors my subconscious would drag up after all the happenings of last night?

"Isabella?" Mom intoned, far too cheery and sing-songy for my mind right now. "Isabella, wake up."

I muttered something about not wanting to before turning on my side, away from the window.

"Isabella, wake up," the voice said again, just as cheerily. "You're in _so_ much trouble, Isabella."

Wait… that wasn't my mom. I sat up so quickly that I almost head butted Ginger. Luckily, she scrambled back in time, laughing hysterically at my disorientation.

"Ginger?" I asked through a yawn. Oh wait, Ginger slept over last night. Duh!

"Good morning," the girl laughed. I rubbed my eyes, and took in her face. She was giving me the weirdest look I'd ever received.

"What's that look for?" I asked, really not liking how ominous it was.

"Well let's see…" she started, with sarcasm in her voice. "What could possibly condone such a scandalized look… possibly the fact that I go to sleep at my best friend's house with the knowledge that Ferb Fletcher kissed her… And wake up to see her uncharacteristically tired, and wearing a hoodie that belongs to none other than Phineas Flynn."

_Oh boy_. I looked down, and saw… yes indeed, I was still wearing the sweatshirt.

"Busted!" Ginger squealed, bouncing up and down on the bed. "_What happened_?"

I sighed, too tired to really protest. I told her how Phineas had showed up because he'd wanted to talk to me, saw I was cold, and gave me his sweatshirt. I filled her in on the whole conversation, hoping maybe she could make sense of everything. Heaven knows I couldn't.

"So you stepped over my sleeping body for a secret rendezvous with the boy you've loved for a decade? That's _so _cute!" Her fangirling side was bubbling to the surface.

"Chill, Ginger," I sighed. "He may have come over, but he was still Phineas. I can't tell you how many times he'd said, '_it's what friends do_.' Actually I can. He said it twice."

"Wow…" Ginger scoffed, "But we can't ignore the fact that he was here. That still says something."

With an incredible amount of regret, I pulled Phineas' hoodie off. The air in my room chilled my once cozy arms, and I resisted the urge to pout. Behind me, Ginger wolf-whistled.

"No wonder he gave you his hoodie. He always sees you in dresses or jeans. In shorts and a cami, he probably had to cover you up just to control himself."

My face turned bright red, and I buried it in the hoodie to hide… which didn't help anything. It smelled like Phineas, and made me even more self-conscious. I quickly tossed it behind me to my bed.

"Very funny," I laughed, trying to ease the embarrassment. Out of habit, my hand went to play with my hair, only remember that it was up in a bun. And then I turned even redder, because that was something Ferb had pointed out.

_The tense way you play with your clothes when you're nervous or upset, and your hair when you're embarrassed._

I hadn't even realized I did that. But now Ferb was in my brain just as much as Phineas was, and I had no idea what to do with that.

"Phineas picked once heck of a night to notice I was upset," I breathed, more to myself than to Ginger. "I mean, seriously! Out of all the times I've left there heartbroken, the one time he notices is the one time I leave his brother's room after he kissed me!"

"I know. And I want to be here for you," Ginger said, her voice saturated with regret, "but my mom wanted me home six minutes ago."

"Wait, what time is it?"

"Uh… 10:36."

10:36! WHAT? I scrambled forward, looking at the clock on my night table. What had happened to the morning? Had I turned off my alarm in my sleep?

"Ginger, I've got to hop in the shower! Phineas and Ferb expected me hours ago!" I rushed forward, hugging my best friend, before running into my bathroom. I knew she could let herself out, and I was _super_ late. An odd morning after an odd night. If the pattern held, the day should be odd too…

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Have a happy day!_


	9. Cognizance

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

_If I did, there'd be a lot more shipping._

* * *

CHAPTER NINE:

Cognizance

**FERB**

This had to be one of the most bizarre mornings of my adolescence. I appreciated the humor and irony; what made this morning so odd was the complete lack of odd things. There were no lasers, no sounds of hammers or sawing, no towering mechanisms. There was nothing out of the ordinary, if one lived in any other house. But for us, it was almost… disturbing.

It was ten in the morning, and Phineas had just woken up. He'd snoozed a few times at seven, then turned his alarm clock off altogether—something I'd never seen him do. Then he acted surprised, like he hadn't even realized how late it was.

We were now sitting at the table—eating lunch, since Phineas had missed breakfast. For the most part, he was acting normal, but at the same time… not so much.

"Phineas, are you feeling alright, honey?" Mum asked, doing the dishes from the grilled cheeses she'd made us. "It's not like you to get up so late."

"I'm fine, Mom," Phineas said simply before wolfing down his sandwich. Mum still didn't seem pleased with that, though, because she came over and put her head on his forehead.

"Honestly, sweetheart, if you don't feel well it's okay. Your face is a little red, though your forehead isn't too hot. Are you sure—"

"Mom, let him be," Candace said, entering the kitchen and making her way to the fridge. "Phineas is a big boy, and if he says he feels fine, he's fine." She poured herself a cup of milk and rested against the counter, holding it in one hand and looking down at her phone in the other.

_Oooookay… _since when did Candace come to Phineas' rescue when Mum got protective?

"Besides," my sister continued, giving Phineas a significant look, "isn't a seventeen year old boy allowed one day to sleep in without getting grilled like his sandwich? Leave him be." She downed the rest of her milk and started towards the door. "I'm going to the store. Text me if you think of anything else we need."

Oh yes, something was going on. Candace's behavior, the pinkish tint to Phineas' cheeks… my brother had some explaining to do. Phineas took the opening, though, and pulled me to the backyard, giving a shout of thanks to our mum on the way.

Once we were in our backyard, I raised my eyebrow at him; _spill._

"Work while we talk," Phineas laughed, heading toward the garage to get some tools. "We've got some time to make up for."

Then, as Phineas and I worked on wiring for his Thought Machine, he told me how he'd gone over to Isabella's house in the middle of the night.

"I know you thought I should give her a little space," he said almost guiltily, "but I just wanted to make sure she was fine."

I motioned for him to go on, and he laughed.

"You know, I never actually got an answer about what was bothering her, but I do think I cheered her up."

I nodded my head toward the kitchen as if to say, _and in there_?

"Yeah, I know it was odd," Phineas said. "Candace caught me last night when I was sneaking back inside, but after she heard I was at Isabella's, she 'let me off the hook.' Pretty weird, right?"

I nodded, focusing back on the wiring in my hands.

Through the years, I'd been asked from many sources—Buford, Baljeet, Candace, Mum, and any number of Fireside Girls—if I, in my infinite silence and observation, thought if Phineas had feelings for Isabella.

Every time I was asked, I responded with the same thing; _Phineas cares about Isabella a lot, but doesn't put any romantic stress on it, because he likes focusing on projects that make others happy. It isn't that he doesn't like her, he simply lacks any cognizance of females. Some day, he could very well wake up and find that he likes her, but girls or dating aren't even on his mental radar right now._

That's what I told others, but Phineas' acknowledgement of other couples on the community service day, like Ginger and Baljeet, or Katie and Django, skewed the validity of my assumption. My brother _was_ aware of females, romantic feelings, dating, all that lot. He just wasn't aware of any of it when it came to himself.

I loved my brother, but there have been times when I've chaffed against being his sidekick. Phineas was the outspoken, confident poster boy that everybody loved. People addressed him, rather than both of us. Girls fawned over him, though he was blind to it all and no one dared cross Isabella. It was something that I'd learned to accept and reconcile with; I was happy and had what I needed. But it made me reconsider how I viewed Phineas.

Underneath his glowing layers of confidence, maybe there was some doubt there. Perhaps, on a subconscious level, he was insecure about girls, and believed he wasn't worth noticing in a romantic way. Thus, he never saw himself getting noticed that way by Isabella. In an odd way, it made sense.

My brother, the great Phineas Flynn, may actually be insecure about something.

Of course, now would be the absolute worst time for him to start seeing things differently. I'd just realized I had feelings for Isabella, feelings that maybe even went back for years. Unlike my brother, I acted on them. And where as I don't know where Isabella will go with it, I figured I at least I had a chance. A chance that would dissolve immediately if Phineas developed feelings for her.

It was horrible, but for once I was rooting for Phineas' knack of being oblivious.

* * *

**ISABELLA**

_I just shouldn't go, _I argued with myself for the dozenth time, stepping out of the shower. The whole thing was crazy complicated. _But if you don't go, Phineas will know for sure something is up. _And what kind of message would that send to Ferb?

I sighed and slumped down on the edge of my bed, still wrapped up in my towel. This would be so much easier if I just knew what I wanted. I'd always wanted Phineas, but after what happened yesterday, everything was wonky. It was like the nice, orderly file drawer in my brain entitled _Things Isabella Knows and Feels_ got bucked by a horse, scattering its contents around my mind in a flurry.

Could I just move on from Phineas? After so many years? I didn't know if I could, even if I did like Ferb. But did I have feelings for Ferb? I could have just been upset over Phineas, and looking for any form of comfort. That was something people did, right?

_Yeah, that would make sense_, I told myself. That would be a perfect explanation for why I'd kissed him back, right? That could explain everything! But… not why I liked it so much. I mean, it was more than just a simple kiss. I was on his lap, for Pete's sake! Pulling on him, and running my hand through his hair, and doing things I never thought I would.

And what he said was so sweet. But then Phineas was sweet too, showing up last night to make sure I was fine… Ugh, boys sucked.

With a groan, I fell back on my bed, my arms flopping to my side, where I stayed for a solid chunk of time.

"Isa?" my mom called, peeking her head into my room. "Buenos dias, mija. You're getting a late start today. Why aren't you dressed?"

"You know what, Mom, screw it!" I jumped up off my bed, making my way to my closet and tossing on the first thing my hands touched—a pink sundress. I grabbed my hairbrush and started yanking it through my hair. "You always told me when things didn't feel okay, that I had the power to make it okay. So I'm going to go over to my best friends' house, and I'm going to enjoy myself."

"O…kay?" my mom said, raising her eyebrow at my odd behavior.

"And any stupid complications can be damned!" I exclaimed, slipping on my shoes. I hardly ever cussed, but I was fed up with always being frustrated by boys. I grabbed the hoodie from my bed and turned to go out the door, but my mom blocked my way.

"Isa, is there something bothering you? Is something going on between you and Phineas? Habla me."

"Boys are trouble, Mom, but I'm handling it." I kissed her on the cheek, and made my way out the door.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_And if you guys see any grammar mistakes or issues, please point them out. This is my first __fan fiction, and I don't have a beta reader or anything like that. I try to hawk out as many issues as I can, and I'm pretty good at it, but when it's your own story, things can just sweep under your editing eye. Thanks._


	10. Banter

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TEN:

Banter

**ISABELLA**

After my brave and determined decision to go to Phineas and Ferb's house and have fun no matter what, I had hoped there wouldn't be any awkwardness. I had not, however, taken into account the possibility of Baljeet and Buford being there.

As soon as I walked in the gate, I wanted to chuck Phineas' jacket over the fence, hide it behind my back and make it disappear, anything to avoid questions as to why I had it. Any day before yesterday, that wouldn't have been a problem, but I was all mixed up now.

"Hey, Isabella, what'cha doing… with Dinnerbell's hoodie?" I shot Buford a death glare for using my trademark phrase.

"Just returning it," I responded shortly. I tried to sound tough; it was the only thing Buford responded to. He got the message to drop it, but no doubt news would spread of my borrowing Phineas' jacket. I wasn't sure if that should bother me.

"Thanks, Isabella!" Phineas enthused from a pile of wires. "Just toss it inside. We're almost done!"

I did what he asked, then turned back around. "So, what'cha doing?" I asked, sitting down across the wires from Phineas and Ferb with a careful arrangement of my dress. "And… how is it almost done? It looks like a sloppy pile of cords."

I was careful to look only at the invention, avoiding both brothers' eyes.

"That's what you think for now, but just wait… a moment…" Phineas connected two more wires, and Ferb pulled out a remote control. "Hit it, Ferb!"

Ferb met my eyes for just a second, but they were completely unreadable. He pushed a big red button on the remote, and all the wires retracted, a metal casing appeared, and it shrunk down. One second later, a mechanical bowtie laid on the grass.

"Behold!" Phineas yelled with the same child-like enthusiasm as he had for years. "I present The Mind-Reading Bowtie 3000!"

"Really, is the big number necessary?" Baljeet muttered, only to be put in a headlock by Buford.

"I like the number," he growled, and Baljeet chuckled nervously.

"Wait, _mind reading_?" I asked uncertainly. I wasn't sure if I wanted my mind read today.

"Yeah," Phineas said with a smile. "I asked you yesterday if you liked the idea while we were planting trees, and you said yes."

_I did?_ I'm sure I had said yes, though I may not have been paying full attention to his question. _That's what you get, Isabella_, I thought with a humorless laugh.

"It's mostly what's skittering across your mind just below the surface," Phineas said excitedly. "So it won't be _I wonder what I'll think, _but the thoughts just below that."

_Oh boy… this should be fun…_

Phineas went first, his thoughts playing from a small speaker on the machine. Though his lips didn't move, we all could hear Phineas' voice say, _I'm really happy the old_ _gang is together again. Having us all here in the backyard is nostalgic and—hey, where's Perry? _

Some part of me wondered—hoped?—he might mention me specifically, but I wasn't surprised when he hadn't. I actually wasn't disappointed, either, but I really couldn't trust my reactions to anything today.

Baljeet was running through equations in his head… backwards and in Hindi. Smarty pants.

Buford snatched the bowtie off Baljeet pretty quickly, putting it on himself. Buford's voice came from the speaker, delving into an embarrassing internal monologue about his goldfish, Biff. He pulled it off huffily, putting it back down on the grass.

"This doesn't leave the backyard," he growled, and we all laughed. Then Phineas turned toward Ferb and I.

"That leaves you two. Who wants to go first?"

I looked at Ferb, and he shrugged, his eyes saying it was my choice. I sighed, and was about to grudgingly volunteer, when the backdoor slid open, and Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher poked her head out.

"I made snacks for whoever wants them," she said with a smile.

Buford jumped at her words, rushing into the house like a crazed elephant. Phineas and Baljeet followed after more calmly. When Ferb made no show of interest, I decided to stay too; I had to see if we could function normally while I figured this all out.

"None for you, Isabella?" Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher questioned, and I turned her down with a polite thanks. With that, she shrugged and shut the door.

"Not hungry?" Ferb asked, and I smiled as I heard his voice. It always bothered me that he would never talk in group settings; he was undervalued.

"Thought I'd maybe convince you to help me, ah… mulch the machine?" I asked with a laugh. "Then we could both avoid it."

"Maybe I want to hear what you're thinking."

"And maybe you don't," I shot back.

He smirked. "And maybe I'd be okay with the risk."

"And _perhaps_," I emphasized the word, breaking our pattern, "I don't want to rob you of the joys and frustrations of actual conversation. Let the others see what a witty banterer you are, Mr. Fletcher. Then I won't feel so bad for monopolizing your words."

"Not a chance," he laughed again, and it stirred something inside of me. It was the sort of thing that only Phineas had been able to create in me, and yet, here I sat with Ferb, feeling a little… odd inside. A good odd. And it was terrifying.

I looked down at my hands, afraid my face would betray something. Ferb clearly sensed the change in my attitude, apparently finding it a good place to interrupt our—oh god, was I flirting?—with a change of subject.

"I heard you had a visitor last night," he said.

"Phineas told you, I take it?"

"Mostly. I don't know whether to be annoyed or amused that he left out the bit about the jacket." Usually, Ferb didn't let any emotions show, but this time, his face fell, just slightly. "Did you—"

"I didn't tell him what happened," I confirmed, though I couldn't tell if he was pleased or upset with my answer. My hands drifted to the bottom of my dress, and I wrung the pink hem between my fingers.

After a minute, Ferb still hadn't said anything, so I looked back up at his face. One of his eyebrows were raised and his lips were pressed into tightly together. With a shock, I realized he was trying not to laugh. His eyes darted from the edge of my skirt in my hands, to my face, then back again.

"Nervous, Isabella?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"No," I lied. I quickly let go of my skirt, smoothing it out as nonchalantly as I could. It was… so embarrassing, to be read like that. I felt my face heating up, and I knew I was blushing, but I tried to ignore it.

Instead of responding, Ferb pressed the back of his hand to his mouth in an effort to not burst out laughing. "What?" I asked, feeling the blush spread to my nose. Then it hit me. I realized I had gone from playing with my clothes to playing with the ends of my hair, like Ferb said I did when I was embarrassed.

My hands snapped back down to my lap, and Ferb's eyes glimmered with mirth. He opened his mouth to make a comment, but I cut him off.

"Not a word! Not a single word, you bloody Brit!"

He laughed and gave me look I'd never received before. We'd always bantered, but now it had a… different side to it. _Yes_, I realized with a start, _Ferb was _actually_ flirting with me_.

"But I thought you liked my words. You may be defensive now, but deep down you find them clever and charming."

I scoffed, but was unable to keep myself from smiling. "Yeah right. Or maybe I find your banter is a massive overcompensation for—"

"Boy, you guys missed out!" Buford exclaimed as everyone else came back outside. He sat down right between us and let out a belch. "So, how was the conversation out here?"

Buford meant the question as a joke; Ferb never really talked to anyone but Phineas, as far as he and Baljeet knew. He was trying to be ironic and funny, but it only made me blush again. Ferb talked more when he was around me than maybe even Phineas, and the way Buford said that made it seem like it was Ferb and I's secret. In a strange way, maybe it was.

"Actually, our conversation was quite invigorating," Ferb responded, and everyone stared at him, including me. Before Buford or Baljeet could question it, though, Phineas laughed.

"All your conversations are invigorating, Ferb, or you wouldn't bother having them." He picked up the Mind-Reading Bowtie 3000. "So, I take it you decided who was next, then?"

Ferb once again surprised me, putting his hand out for the machine.

"Ok, Ferbooch," Phineas said, giving it to him. "This should be interesting. I bet we're all wondering what's behind your quiet façade."

"Probably something about tea and doilies," Buford muttered. Ferb put on the bowtie.

_I enjoy the fact that this machine is a bowtie. Very odd. Perhaps Perry leads a double life; it definitely would explain why he disappears everyday. Isabella looks beautiful in her dress today, or any day, really. Not once have I even touched a doily, but it is sad that Buford is so uncomfortable with his feminine side that he feels the need to make comments._

With that, Ferb took it off. Baljeet burst out laughing at the end, receiving a death glare from Buford. His compliment was having a heyday in my head, and I had no clue what my face looked like.

"You should wear that thing all the time," Phineas said, evidently unfazed by Ferb's compliment. "It's cool to know what you're thinking."

There was a moment of silence, and then Phineas looked at me.

"I guess it's your turn now, Isabella."

* * *

_R/R please!_

_I really like the idea of Ferb bantering, but only around select people. I kept him his usual quiet self around other people, but I like him talking to Phineas and Isabella. It's cute._


	11. Normal

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

Normal

**FERB**

I held the machine out for Isabella, giving her my best mischievous smile. With a sigh, she took it, but instead of putting it around her neck like the rest of us, she put it on the top of her head, like the hair bow she used to wear when she was little. I could tell she was a little nervous, unsure of just what would come out when…

"Hey," Candace said, peeking her head out the door, "I'm back. You guys mind helping me put the groceries away?"

Isabella's eyes flashed with relief as she stared at Candace. _I wonder when Jeremy will finally propose to Candace, _the machine said from atop her head. _I've always rooted for those two. It's so romantic, how long they've liked each other. It's kind of like—_

Candace rushed forward and plucked the bow off her head, and I could see Isabella was pleased.

"What is this?" my sister asked, some of her old sixteen-year-old self shining through her more mature exterior.

"The Mind-Reading Bowtie 3000!" Phineas exclaimed proudly.

Candace tossed it down on the grass. "Of course it is," she said sarcastically. "Why should I be surprised? I'll bust you _after_ you put the groceries away."

I shot Isabella a look that said, _oh, you are _so _lucky._

We all got up and followed Candace inside, Baljeet muttering something about how much Candace had mellowed out since college. Between all of us teenagers, it was done quickly, but by the time we made it back outside, the Mind-Reading Bowtie 3000 was gone. The grass where it'd been laying was… smoking?

"Of course it's gone," Candace muttered from the door, covering her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "It's always gone." She slowly retreated back into the house with a continuing mutter of_ gone._

"Some day, Ferb, we'll have to look into where our inventions go," Phineas said, examining the blackened grass.

"But at least clean up has always been easy," Isabella chimed in.

The rest of the afternoon passed by pretty quickly. We played a few video games and had one round of dominoes. Buford and Baljeet left shortly after, and my brother, Isabella, and I poked about in the garage before dinnertime.

"I know there's inspiration in here for tomorrow," Phineas said as he ran his hand over some tools. "We just have to find it."

Isabella was shuffling through a cabinet in the corner as I dug through a chest with all our old sports equipment, tossing aside a couple baseballs, a deflated soccer ball, and a basketball. Our meandering was only interrupted when a phone vibrated.

"My mom said dinner is ready," Isabella sighed, looking at her cellphone. "I have to go home."

Just then, as if all mothers had some sort of internal dinnertime alarm, Mum popped her head into the garage. "Dinner's on the table," she said. "Isabella, sweetheart, you're welcome to join us. I made tacos."

"Thank you, Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher," Isabella replied sweetly, "but my mom made dinner. I was just about to go home." She bounded up and hugged my mum. Phineas gave her a hug too, before heading inside with an exclamation of, _tacos!_

I stood up from the chest, spinning the old basketball on my finger.

"I meant what I thought," I said to Isabella, and she turned around. "The part about you. But I also know how you feel about my brother, so I won't push it any further. I'll act normal."

"Ferb—" She had a pained expression on her face, but I couldn't tell what that meant. Was she unhappy because I put her in an awkward position, which brought on the issue of my needing to act normal? Or was it because maybe she liked where this was going, and didn't want that? Honestly, I couldn't tell… which was new territory for me when it came to Isabella.

Then she gave me a weak smile and said, "I'm not even sure I know what normal looks like."

"Well our normal is pretty weird, but that's not the point."

She was gradually retreating out the open garage door, but she never turned away from me. When I didn't say anything, she snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Stop being so dramatic, Ferb! What's the point?"

"The _point_, Isabella," I said slowly, "is that I'll be your best friend before anything else." I bounced her the basketball, which she caught with ease. "This is my way of saying the ball's on your side of the court now. What you do with that is your choice."

Wordlessly, she nodded, and I smiled at her before heading inside for dinner.

* * *

**ISABELLA**

I took what Ferb said to heart; I focused on keeping things normal. Three weeks had passed since our mind reading day, and everyday had been just like those when we were ten: inexplicable creations, unpredictable events, and unexpected surprises.

I showed up, asked my usual catchphrase of _what'cha doing? _Somebody asked where Perry was. We started building something and had a blast. Somehow, the invention disappeared at the end of the day. After all these years, everything blurred together like extreme déjà vu, but it was never dull.

It was completely normal… except for one thing. I couldn't bring myself to vie for Phineas' attention. I didn't try to flirt or draw his eye. That's not to say I ignored Phineas; I don't think I could ever do that. He was fiercely pressed into my mental radar, and I was always acutely aware of him. I just didn't go out of my way to get him to notice me like I had the past twelve years.

Things were way too complicated to even approach; Ferb had feelings for me, and started creating… something in me when I was around him. But Phineas was Phineas. He'd always been _my_ Phineas. Even considering other possibilities was bizarre after all these years fawning after the redhead and yet… somehow I was. Was I? The whole thing scared me.

Thus, I didn't touch the issue with a twenty-foot pole. I focused on our inventions and hanging out with both my boys as friends. Buford and Baljeet started coming over more often, which helped things. We were all there, older, developed, and different, but together all the same.

However, having the bully and the nerd present also had its drawbacks; they could tell things were off. I'd get weird looks from them whenever an opportunity to be romantic or close to Phineas cropped up and I didn't jump on it with the same gusto I used to.

Naturally, Ferb observed everything with the same calm indifference as he always did when other people were around.

I had to give Ferb credit, though; he'd kept his word. He acted completely normal, the exact same way he'd always acted before he'd kissed me. We hung out. When we were alone, we bantered with the same enthusiasm we always did.

Phineas was, well, Phineas. Fun-loving, ingenious, and oblivious to any tension or differences in behavior.

Summer was fun. Days were seized. Normalcy was achieved. So of course that's when everything had to be shaken up.

During dinner one night, my mom surprised me with wonderful news.

"Your cousin Daniela had her baby! She was shopping in the supermarket and her water broke. Two hours later little Camilla Garcia was born."

"It was a girl?" I squealed. "Oh, mama, that's wonderful!"

"Si. Can you believe it—tu prima, having a baby? It seems like just yesterday she was three!"

"That's so awesome! Is the baby healthy?"

"Si, si, si, all healthy. It was a complication-free birth. But there is one problem. Her husband couldn't get any time off of work, and Daniela said she could use some help during these next couple weeks."

I scrunched my eyebrows, unsure of where this was going. "So… what does that mean?"

"I said I'd go up there and help her. It might be for two to three weeks."

"Two to three weeks? I mean, I want to see the baby, but I didn't even think they had room for us. That's a lot of time, and only a little bit of space to be cramped up in."

"You're right, Isa," my mom said, putting her hand on top of mine. "Daniela's apartment is too small for both of us to visit, and too far to make trips back and forth to sleep here. That's why I was going to go while you stayed here."

"What?" I couldn't believe what I'd heard; my mother was leaving her seventeen-year-old daughter home alone for two(ish) weeks?

"That way you don't miss any time with your friends," Mom added on. Then, as if she read my mind, "but don't worry, mija, you won't be here alone."

"I won't?" She could tell I was still confused, and started rubbing small circles on the back of my hand.

"I talked to Linda and Lawrence earlier today. They said they'd be happy to have you."

_Wait, WHAT? _I tried to control my expression, but a wave of panic swelled up inside of me. Panic, which slowly morphed to include excitement, terror, and something like giddy anticipation.

"You're close to home in case you need anything, and my beautiful daughter won't be spending nights alone in a dark house."

I could tell this was pretty much a done deal, and I didn't want my mom to worry, so I smiled and agreed to her plan. After all, there wasn't a real issue. An extended sleepover at Phineas and Ferb's house? That should be fun. Insanely awkward, but fun.

She told me she was leaving for Eastern Tri-State area tomorrow.

So much for normal.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Yes indeed… Isabella will be staying with Phineas and Ferb! Let the real fireworks begin!_


	12. Welcome

_Well, I'm really excited because this story has a little bit of support. A couple favs and a couple follows. Yay! I've got the next few chapters written, but like to make sure everything is consistent. Thus, I wait until I'm three to four chapter ahead before posting the next one on here. That, and I'm pretty critical about my writing, and never think it's good enough, so I obsess over trying to improve it. Sooooo… without further ado, here is chapter twelve._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWELVE:

Welcome

**FERB**

I almost choked on Mum's shepherd's pie, coughing sporadically before swallowing the hot lump of chicken, vegetables and gravy. I grabbed my glass of water and took a hard gulp, pounding on my chest twice. When I looked up from my plate, the entire dinner table was staring at me with confused and alarmed faces.

"Ferb, sweetie, are you alright?"

I nodded my head and cleared my throat, focusing on regaining my composure. I never talked at the dinner table, but this moment was so out there, that I deigned to break that tradition; "sorry Mum," I coughed, "I just—I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

"I said," she began again, scooping up another spoonful of delicious goop, "that Vivian's niece had a baby. She's going to be helping out up on the eastern side, so Isabella will be staying with us for the next few weeks or so."

_Ah, _so I had heard correctly… Honestly, I had no clue where to go with that.

"That sounds like fun!" Phineas exclaimed before taking a drink of his milk.

"Of course _you're_ all for it," Candace said, giving Phineas one of her knowing smiles.

"Well, yeah, we're both all for it, right, Ferb?" Phineas laughed, the suggestive undertone to Candace's voice going right over his head.

I nodded, and Candace's gaze fell on me. I know the whole choking fiasco was definitely a change from my silent indifference, but what was with the suspicious stare?

"Jolly good show!" Dad enthused, taking a bite of steamed green beans.

"I'm happy you boys understand," remarked Mum. "It's way better than having a young girl stay in a house by herself for so long. I know we live in a pretty safe neighborhood, but you just never know. Plus, it'll be fun."

Phineas beamed at me. "I guess I know what we're going to do tomorrow, eh, Ferb?"

* * *

**ISABELLA**

"Well, sweetheart, you already know where the kitchen is, of course," Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher chuckled as we made our way up to the stairs. "But if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Any of us will be delighted to help you."

"Thanks, Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher," I said with a laugh, following after her with a small duffle bag over my arm.

"Honestly, Isabella, you've known me for twelve years. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Linda. Please," she sighed with mock exasperation.

I laughed again; that had always been a running battle between us, but I suppose if I was going to be staying here for an extended period of time, I should respect her wishes.

"Now, Candace is using our guest bedroom in the basement," Mrs. Fly—_Linda _continued. "But the boys have agreed to share a room for the duration of your stay. You'll be sleeping in Ferb's room while the boys crash in Phineas'."

I was completely and utterly taken aback by the swell of giddiness inside of me when she said I was staying in Ferb's room. Jeese, what was happening to me?

"Thanks," I responded as I walked into the Brit's familiar bedroom. I hoped beyond hope that my face wasn't red. None of the other Flynn-Fletchers knew how much time I'd actually spent here, talking to Ferb. I tossed my bag on the bedspread and sat down, tracing its diamond stitching with a well-known movement of my fingers. "This is perfect."

"Don't worry," Linda said from the door. "I made sure to change the sheets and everything. It's all clean."

"Thanks," I said again, lying back so that my legs were hanging off the bed at my knee. I sighed with content, and Linda left.

After a few minutes, I swung around so I was lying on the bed like a normal person. I pulled the pillow under my head and took a deep breath, but it smelled like laundry detergent instead of Ferb now… not that I cared, of course.

"_What is going on?_" I groaned into the fabric. For the past three weeks, I'd tried to act normal. I'd taken a step back from Phineas to just enjoy life in general. But as soon as I took a step back from Phineas, I started noticing Ferb more and more.

Phineas was the idea man. He was brilliant, optimistic, and creative. He was outspoken and confident. Ferb was a man of action, like Phineas had claimed years ago. He was building and making things happen, often outshined and forgotten.

I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt. I loved Ferb; he was one of my best friends, and he was always there for me, but even I was negligent when it came to him. Sometimes I addressed only Phineas when they were both there, or when complimenting creations, I would forget to include him in my praise.

What kind of friend did that?

I felt so stupid for never noticing all the older brother did, and I was sad, because everyone else did it too. Everyone looked past Ferb and straight to Phineas. I couldn't imagine how that felt.

And now I finally recognize the extent of his worth, but couldn't necessarily act on that, because it might give Ferb a false sense of hope about the two of us.

But was it even false? I had felt something when he kissed me. I felt something when he made me laugh. Was it possible to like two guys at once? I mean, sure, I'd read about it in books and seen it in movies, but I'd never actually experienced it.

"Hey, Isabella!" Phineas exclaimed, bounding into the room and jumping on the bed. Ferb approached more casually, saluting me from the door.

"Hey," I responded, banishing the more depressing thoughts of the past few minutes.

"We're both really excited you're staying here," Phineas said, grabbing my wrists and pulling me off the bed. "Follow us, and we'll show you how much!"

"What?" I asked as Phineas dragged me to the door. I met Ferb's eyes as I passed and he shot me a look that said, _just go with it._

Phineas pulled me to the backyard, where there was a banner that said, _Welcome, Isabella! _In front of it was a stack of board games and movies. There was a table set up next to the tree with pink bowls filled with food.

"Tada!" he exclaimed, a giant smile on his face. "It's a welcome party for you!"

I took in the sight in front of me, and had to resist the urge to cry. I seriously had the best best friends ever.

"Guys, this is so sweet!"

"Well," Phineas said, rubbing the back of his neck, "we wanted to make sure you knew we were happy to have you. I was going to go all out. You know, giant neon signs and maybe a castle, or something. But Ferb said you'd like something a little quainter, and I figured he was probably right."

I took a step forward, taking in the stack of games and movies; all of my all-time favorites were here. The banner had the visible streaks of a hand-held brush, and was tied up with a couple simple bungee cords. The bowls held my favorite snacks.

"This… this is perfect." I turned around and pulled both guys into a giant hug. "Thank you so much!"

"The party has arrived!" Said a new higher-pitched voice. Baljeet opened the gate and walked in with Buford. I smiled at the newcomers and went to hug them.

"You know," Buford grumbled, addressing Phineas, "when you said there'd be a little party, I didn't realize it'd be so girly and touchy-feely."

"Don't worry, Buford," I giggled. "Your street cred will remain intact."

For the rest of the daylight hours, we played board games, ate food, and hung out. It was something that everyday, run-of-the mill teenagers would do, which meant it was beyond weird for us, but I loved it. Once the sun began setting, Buford and Baljeet started home, and I reveled in the realization that I didn't have to.

Dinner was next. Mr. Flynn-Fletcher—I suppose I should start calling him Lawrence—and Linda were pleasant, Phineas was engaging, and Ferb was quiet, but Candace was… odd. She kept giving me this mischievous smile and making comments like, _is it a little chilly in here?_ Eventually Linda sent her to away to get a jacket, since she kept commenting on the temperature. I just chose to ignore her; it wasn't worth exploring further.

After dinner, Phineas proclaimed that it was time for movies, and I picked one at random from the stack they'd made, since I knew I already loved them all. While Phineas set it up, I ran to the bathroom. When I returned, I couldn't believe the situation in front of me.

A year ago, the Flynn-Fletchers had replaced their thirteen-year-old ratty couch with a plush sectional. It had a couple of loveseats divided by squishy armrests. It was really nice, but just became the bane of my existence.

Phineas and Ferb sat on two separate sides. There was plenty of room beside either boy. And I would have to choose which brother to sit next to.

This would be an interesting few weeks.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_I know this one wasn't as fun, but the next chapter will definitely make up for it (evil snicker). I think you guys will like it. Anyhoo, I'm happy that I have a little smidge of support, but I can't tell what you guys are thinking if you just hit follow. Thus, I humbly request a review._

_Keep an eye out for the next chapter! It'll have that shipping stuff that you guys desire!_

_Have a happy day!_


	13. Awkward

_To my reviewers, thank you! Especially to Enula, who has reviewed every chapter. I love knowing what you guys think! Here's the next chapter I promised you! Hope you like it._

_Also, some of you felt like Ferb talks too much; I don't disagree. I know I have him talk a lot, but I'm also very careful about WHEN he talks. The only time that he talks, really, is when he and Isabella are alone. Otherwise, he'll say a few words to Phineas here and there. When in groups, I leave him as his silent, gesticulating self. He talks only with Isabella, which I think is sweet. I touch on it in this chapter, but felt like articulating that here, too. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb_

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

Awkward

**FERB**

Having Isabella live with us was interesting to say the least. The couch fiasco—to which she stared at us frenetically before taking a seat on the floor—was only the first of many awkward encounters.

The week started with a bang; I'd walked in on Isabella while she was changing.

I'd needed a charger from my room, and didn't know she was in there. I had knocked anyway, but there wasn't a response, so I strolled on in, only to find she'd had headphones on and hadn't heard me. Her new top was mostly on, so I didn't see much, but I'm pretty sure both of our faces were blood red the rest of the day.

In retrospect, it was an omen. The next four days were permeated with similar events.

Phineas slid down the railing of the stairs just as Isabella rounded the corner, and he crashed into her. They went sprawling in a tangle of limbs until they landed, Phineas on top of her and nose-to-nose. Both were blushing like mad, much to my displeasure.

Late one night, I made my way down the stairs for a midnight snack, only to find Isabella had had the same idea. It would have been fine if not for the fact that I'd just gotten out of the shower, was still wet, and was only dressed in a pair of boxers. Neither of us were quite sure what to do with that encounter, so I slowly retreated back up the stairs.

Worst of all was when Candace, in an attempt to play matchmaker, sent Isabella and Phineas to go to the grocery store together, while having the "massive emergency" of needing me to fix her printer. She wasn't excluding me out of malice; she thought she was helping Isabella out. Still, it made me want to spray her with printer ink.

That last one with Candace wasn't as awkward as the others, but it was the worst because it acted as a reminder of something I'd been trying to ignore; everybody loved the idea of Isabella and my brother. It was expected and supported. In the eyes of the world, they were meant to be.

That bothered me more than I'd like to admit.

But of course, life continued. It was now day five of Isabella staying with us, and after the eventful first few days, Isabella was on edge.

Whenever Phineas or I were brought up, her cheeks turned pink. It wasn't obvious. Rather, it was only noticeable if you searched for it, but at least it was a reaction, right? She used to only do that for Phineas.

Sadly, with the rosy cheeks came embarrassment, and Isabella started avoiding one-on-one time with either of us. She kept things in a group setting, all three of us. That, of course, meant I kept quiet.

I tried not to read into how much I talked to her. It was strange. I was silent in groups and had my one-liners with Phineas, but I actually _talked_ to Isabella. We had full-blown conversations. Phineas was my best friend, which was why he got some of my words on a few rare occasions. Isabella was something else altogether.

For as much as Phineas was ragged on for being oblivious, I was guilty of it too. Isabella had always been special. She was the only person I'd ever fully and freely spoken to. Honestly, that should have been the biggest indicator of my growing feelings. It should have been obvious.

But I tried to keep my promise to her; I tried to act completely normal.

Just like old times, Buford and Baljeet decided to sleep over too. It was late, and the night was winding down, so we put on_ Space Adventure IV: Return of the Adventurers in Space_. The bully and nerd sat on one half of the couch, so Phineas, Isabella, and I were all squished onto the other. And of course, the lovely lady was in the middle.

Honestly, the Space Adventure Saga had dwindled in their appeal to me, growing into a massively overdone franchise, but Phineas loved them still. They spoke to his adventurous side, and I liked how happy they made him. Thus, I never protested when he put them on. I just watched the simulated space story with apathy.

Halfway through the movie, I felt a weight on my shoulder; Isabella had fallen asleep. A sigh of contentment left her lips and a flash of a smile graced mine. I looked down, soaking in the sight of her sleeping on me. Her hair fell over her shoulders and face in an ebony cascade, and the color from the screen lit up her skin in odd and beautiful ways.

Damn, I could get used to this feeling. It was dangerously intoxicating, but letting that show was just as dangerous. Thus, I forced my eyes back to the movie. As it progressed, Isabella kept snuggling closer. Her arm wrapped around mine, like she were hugging it, and she nuzzled into my shoulder until I felt her hair tickling my neck.

I tried not to look into it too much; it wasn't like she could control what she did in her sleep, but it still made my stomach go through the usual flips and flops. I knew I liked her, but I was unprepared for the flurry of emotions something as simple as this created in me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Buford nudge Baljeet, nodding his head in my direction. I tried to ignore their snickers; they were probably just jealous.

Eventually, their whispers registered with Phineas, who shushed them. He glanced from me to them, then snapped back to me in a double take. I tried to focus on the screen, where the hero was bravely flying his ship through an asteroid field, but my brother's stare was so intense, I had to look over at him.

The T.V. cast half his face in shadows, but it was impossible to miss his wide eyes, completely and utterly surprised. I tried not to feel smug—it wasn't really my style—but something about this moment validated all of my feelings for the girl on my shoulder.

I raised my eyebrow at him; _something wrong?_

He shook his head quickly, and turned back to the T.V. His lips were pressed tightly together and he was uncharacteristically still, but if I analyzed things too much, I'd go crazy.

Isabella made a small noise in her sleep and pulled her legs up onto the couch. I took the opportunity to put my arm around her when she shifted, and she snuggled into the crux between my shoulder and chest. After a second, one of her hands grabbed the front of my shirt, and she sighed again.

Now she was fully pressed into my side, snuggled up on my chest, and actually holding on to me. All the eyes in the room moved back to my face, and I fought to keep up my normal composure. I had to literally bite my tongue to keep from smiling; I absolutely loved how this felt.

Isabella stayed asleep like that for the rest of the movie. Once it was over, Buford and Baljeet started setting up blankets on the floor, and Phineas stood up to eject the disk. He seemed to be going out of his way to not look at me, but I once again chose not to analyze.

With an incredible amount of reluctance, I shook Isabella's shoulder. She muttered something that sounded like _no, let me sleep,_ then my name, and I once again bit back my smile; she knew she was asleep on _me_. She knew, and wanted to stay there.

"Isabella, you slept through the movie," I said gently, shaking her shoulder again. "Now it's time to go to bed."

Buford and Baljeet froze and stared at me. Phineas did too, almost fumbling the movie disk. They looked completely taken aback, not that I could blame them; two full sentences might have been normal when I was with Isabella, but to everyone else, it was like I'd just given a speech.

In all honesty, I'd forgotten they were there and could hear me, but the shock-factor was surprisingly satisfying.

Then Phineas dropped the DVD case, and Isabella sat up with a start, rubbing her eyes.

"Wait," she muttered, still drowsy, "is the movie over?"

"You slept through it," Phineas said with an almost… harsh tone? Luckily, it went completely over Isabella's head.

"Oops," she yawned, taking in the boys in front of her. "Why are you staring?"

In response, Buford and Baljeet hastily went back to setting up their makeshift bed. Isabella looked at me questioningly, but after she took in our proximity and her position, she put two and two together.

Then she gave me one of the sweetest and most shy smiles I'd ever seen.

"Sorry about that, Ferb. I didn't realize how tired I was." She slid off the couch and straightened out her clothes. After a second of stretching, she helped finish setting up the sleeping arrangements, and some of the awkwardness dissolved.

Buford and Baljeet scrambled to the kitchen for a.m. hour snacks. Phineas looked like he was going to follow, but seemed to think better of it, and stayed with us. He was fidgeting with the DVD case, and I couldn't shake the feeling he didn't want to leave Isabella and I alone.

"Sorry I passed out, Phineas," Isabella sighed, stretching again.

"It's okay, Isabella," Phineas said with a rough attempt at his usual chipper tone. "I think _Space Adventure III: Space Revenge of the Anti-Adventure_ is better anyway."

* * *

**ISABELLA**

Day six at the Flynn-Fletcher's rolled around, and not one of them so far had been without some awkward interaction. I was just rooting for an ordinary day, one with impossible machines and the defiance of rules of nature. Normal, run of the mill stuff like that.

It looked like I was going to get it.

The city wanted a revamped transit system, and Phineas and Ferb jumped at the opportunity to use their creative skills for a good cause. By the end of the day, the post offices had a mail system run with hovercraft technology and laser optics, and the trucks had a new paintjob.

Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we were done, and looking forward to a relaxing evening.

Phineas was acting weird, though. The second I recommended watching a movie he shot it down, giving me a look I didn't really understand. Even more out of character, when asked what he wanted to do instead, he said he was drawing blanks.

Thus, the two brothers and I split up for a night pursuing self-interests. I wasn't complaining; maybe then I'd get my wish of a day without embarrassment or awkward encounters.

I was so close to achieving that goal; it was 11:37 p.m., and everyone else was in bed. I was grabbing a glass of water, going to the restroom, and then calling it a night. I was so very, very close.

But of course, my luck wouldn't hold.

I walked out of the downstairs bathroom to find Ferb waiting for me in the hall. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a cool look on his face; he was the epitome of suave ennui.

I glanced left and right, but of course we were alone in the hall. Candace was in the basement, and everyone else was upstairs, most likely asleep. It was just the two of us.

Before I saw him, I'd closed the bathroom door behind me, but I was starting to regret that; my back was already pressed against it, and now there was no room for retreat. Ferb would never want to make me uncomfortable, but I still felt cornered.

"Hey?" I half-said, half-asked. I tried to put a really light and joking tone to my voice, but Ferb remained unfazed.

He just stood there like a tall, green-haired statue in pajamas. His stare was intent and unnerving, and not once did it waver from mine. A solid minute passed—though it felt like even longer—before he finally spoke.

"Are we ever going to talk about this?"

* * *

_R/R please!_

_So, I know I'm not the best with cliffhangers, but I felt this was a good place to leave it. Next up: they talk. Naturally. But will they do… more than talk? Tune in next time to see!_

_Same bat time, same bat channel!_

_And yes, I know I don't have a set schedule for updating, but for those who appreciated that reference, I love you!_

_Lilly is out, peace! … … … And have a happy day!_


	14. Different

_Once again, to those that have reviewed, I love you guys! Seriously, it makes me so happy! I fangirl! Yay!_

_ And while I appreciate the support, I have to level with a few of you guys… if you admittedly hate Ferbella, this isn't the story for you. If Ferbella makes your skin crawl, I cannot, on good graces, expect you to keep reading this :) I truly do appreciate the review and the love; I just don't want to waste anyone's time._

_Enjoy this… heated discussion._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

Different

**ISABELLA**

_Are we ever going to talk about this?_

I never knew so few words could cause so much panic. I didn't think I could talk about this yet. Literally, I could not talk about this! The second he said those words, it felt like there were a hundred little Isabellas running around in my head yelling _mayday, mayday!_

It was like a fuse had been blown in my mind; I could practically feel my brain shorting out. A dozen possibilities swooshed in at once; I wanted to wrap my arms around him, I wanted to run and hide, I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to become a nun and swear off boys and complications forever.

I didn't know how to handle this!

My tongue felt like wet cement in my mouth, and all I could manage was a weak attempt at playing dumb.

"This?"

"Us," he responded just as coolly. "Are we ever going to talk about us?"

God, that didn't help anything. The Isabellas were now screaming,_ say something, say something! _That was easier mentally screamed than done, though; his gaze made my throat feel dry. I managed to open my mouth, but there was no sound.

Unfazed by my internal struggle, Ferb spoke again.

"It's been a month since I kissed you. Are we ever going to talk about that either?"

Finally, my mind reached into my memory banks and latched on to something I could use.

"I thought you said the ball was on my side of the court," I responded. I crossed my arms and tried to look casual, but I'm pretty sure it was unconvincing, because he smirked.

"I know."

"Well, isn't the point of the ball metaphor and that whole, 'what you do with it is up to you,' thing that _I _got to choose when—_if_—I did something about it?"

"That was the general implication, yes." He still hadn't moved from his indifferent wall-lean, and it was starting to get intimidating, but I swallowed hard.

"Well, if I haven't done anything, isn't _that_ still up to me? If I haven't done anything, isn't that sort of an answer?"

"See, but you have done something."

"I—what?"

"You've changed," he stated. Something about his tone made me feel defensive.

"No, I haven't. I'm just _me_. Just Isabella."

His smile softened, and he took a step forward. He finally uncrossed his arms, and his hand moved to my cheek. Despite the fact that my face was hot and probably bright red, his hand felt warm, and I found myself leaning into the touch.

"_Just_ Isabella doesn't cover it," he purred. His voice was low and had a racy edge to it, and I tried to ignore the pleasant chill running up my spine.

"But we're supposed to be acting normal," I reminded him. "Remember, that's what we agreed on. Normal."

"But you haven't been. Not really."

I opened my mouth to protest, but no words came out.

"You don't swoon over Phineas like you used to," he continued. "Like you _normally_ would. You're antsy and on edge. I've seen you glancing my way while we're working on projects."

"I—"

"Your cheeks turn pink in that cute way they do, but—much to my surprise—not necessarily when Phineas is around. You've been avoiding alone time with me, and then you… you fell asleep on me instead of Phineas."

"I wasn't avoiding you," was all I could mutter. He watched me for what felt like forever. I was worried he'd get mad at me for lying, since I definitely _had_ been avoiding one-on-one encounters like this.

What did his quiet British accent sound like when he was angry? When he spits, _BS_ at my obvious lie? The world may never know, because when he finally spoke, his voice was maybe the softest I'd ever heard it.

"Yes you were, but it's okay."

That took me a second to process. I wasn't entirely sure I heard him right. "It's… what?"

"It's okay that you were avoiding me," he repeated. Then he deigned to laugh. "I'm actually quite fine with it."

My eyes bore into his, trying to draw any semblance of sense out of them to help me understand what he meant. True to form, Ferb was unreadable.

"Why would you be fine with that?" I finally asked. I knew that he had manipulated the conversation, bating me into asking that question, but I couldn't resist! I had to know.

"Because I get it. I know _why_ you are."

Once again, he was goading me, making me ask for what he meant. What's sad was that it was definitely working. _Damn genius._

"Why?" I asked as evenly possible; I didn't want to add to his victory by losing my cool.

"Because I make you nervous."

"No you don't," I snapped back. It was a knee-jerk response, and was the farthest thing from the truth right now, but I didn't know what to do with the fact that he could read me so well. Even as I said it, my hands were balled into fists to keep from messing with the sleeves on my robe.

"Uh huh," he said, unconvinced. His eyes gleamed with mischief in a way that made my heart race with both worry and excitement. He took another small step forward, and there was less than a foot between us now. His hand slid from my cheek down my neck, his fingers running along my pulse and across my collarbone. "So I don't make you nervous at all?"

My skin tingled where he touched, and I shivered. My hands clamped down on the ends of my sleeves involuntarily, and I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn't notice. To top it all off, by breathing hitched. God, this couldn't be more embarrassing.

I turned my head toward the stairs in an attempt to avoid his eyes. If need be, I could try to make a run for it, but that would be all the answer he needed.

No, I wouldn't dignify his question with an answer—not that I actually needed a verbal one for him to know he was right. I could at least try to hold on to a faint glimmer of my poise.

"So?" I asked as defensively as possible, still not looking at him.

"So, what?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"None of those things qualify as what I would have called _normal_ for you." His hand moved back up to my cheek, moving my face so my gaze met his again.

"I-I know, but…" What would I say? That I liked him? Even if I did, that didn't mean I could just forget about Phineas.

"But what?" Ferb queried.

_When in doubt, restate what you know_. "But you said the ball was on my side of the court. Aren't you going against that by pushing this with me?"

"I know I said that. I know. But I doubt you'd ever bring it up unless I confronted you like this. Had things gone back to the way they were before, I wouldn't have bothered. I promise I would have dropped it, but the fact is that things _are_ different now."

"I don't—"

"_This_," he motioned back and forth between us with the hand that wasn't on my cheek, "is different. Our interactions, everything. So tell me, Bella, what's a guy to think?"

I had no clue how to respond to that. It wasn't that my mind was in a panic, like it was when he first approached me. I genuinely had no response.

He was right. I couldn't just ignore this when things hadn't gone back to normal, but I also didn't know what to tell him. Things weren't black and white, cut and dry. It didn't matter that I simply liked him; there were other factors involved.

So, awkward as it was, I didn't say a word.

I let this new nickname, _Bella_, flitter around my mind instead of overthinking everything. I looked up into his dark blue eyes, and appreciated the warmth of his hand on my cheek.

My hand trailed up his outstretched arm, my fingers grazing his wrist before resting on top of his.

He didn't move closer or anything, but who knew what would have happened in the next few seconds, if not for the floorboard creaking to the left of us.

Both Ferb and I's heads snapped to the side, meeting the eyes of a _very _stunned redhead.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Your reviews are equal parts wonderful (I love the response!) and terrifying (I never know what I'll get)! I appreciate the suggestions I've received but naturally this will go where my fingers point it. Specific ideas are welcome and considered (with credit if it makes it in the story), because I know you guys have great ideas._

_And have fun with that cliffhanger XD._

_Hats off to those who got the 1966 Batman reference._

_Lilly is out, peace!_


	15. Impressions

_I was three chapters ahead of this one when I realized I left you guys with a pretty wicked cliffhanger. Thus, I took mercy upon you, my lovely readers, and decided to post a new chapter despite the fact that I just posted one four days ago. I'm tempted just to mass post, but I was advised against that by some of the more seasoned writers on this site, so I'll stick with their advice._

_For those who review, thank you, thank you, thank you! For those who have __favorites/followed, you rock! For those who have done so, but that haven't left a review, I'd love to know your thoughts!_

_In a review, one of you mentioned you had some questions about my writing style, and asked if I'd email you, but you left no email and don't have one set up on your account; thus, I cannot get ahold of you. I have PM set up on my account, so I'd be happy to answer any questions if you messaged me._

_Warning: Due to the point of view, there are a few more cuss words than normal. Otherwise, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:

Impressions

**CANDACE**

When I walked up the stairs to brush my teeth, the absolute last thing I expected to hear was the rare sound of my stepbrother's voice.

"…everything. So tell me, Bella, what's a guy to think?"

My brain wasn't working as fast as my feet. I had only begun to process the question, _Bella_? before I'd already walked out of the basement stairwell and into the hall.

Now before I go any further, let me point out the irony here… I spent many years of my life trying to bust my brothers. Every attempt failed.

Now, when I was a college student worrying about exams, scholarships, and when my stupid boyfriend of seven years would finally propose, I'd given up on busting. Wholeheartedly surrendered the notion.

And then I'd busted Phineas.

And now I'd busted Ferb.

Where was the justice in that?

I couldn't quite understand what I saw, but one thing was clear; I had _definitely_ interrupted something.

Isabella stood with her back pressed against the bathroom door, the bottom of the sleeves of her fuzzy pink bathrobe balled up in her hands. Her eyes never wavered from Ferb, who stood a mere eight inches in front of her. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing small circles just under her eye.

They still hadn't seen me, and after a second, Isabella's hand drifted up to rest on his.

He was maybe a head taller than her, but they held each other's gazes with such fierceness that I felt almost… guilty to be witnessing it. I'd never seen Ferb so gentle and yet so stern, somehow calm and upset at once, with some message I couldn't quite understand in his glower.

Anomalous was too mild of a word.

My mind went completely blank save for one thought; _what the hell is going on between _these_ two? _The question ricocheted around in my brain violently, but I couldn't bring myself to voice it.

I was overwhelmed with the desire to retreat to the basement, but that became impossible once a floorboard creaked under my foot.

Both teenagers' heads snapped in my direction, lighting up in alarm when they registered my intrusion.

I could do nothing but stare back. Some part in the back of my mind noted that Ferb still hadn't moved his hand from Isabella's cheek. They hadn't taken a step away from each other. We all just stood there, frozen.

My eyes darted from Ferb's shocked face to Isabella's. I'd clearly interrupted one heck of a conversation, one where Ferb—_Ferb_, of all people_—_was _talking_.

My toothbrush suddenly felt heavy in my hand, and I remembered why I'd come up in the first place. I brandished the tool lamely.

"I was—I just needed—It's-it's not… Never mind!"

I turned and rushed back down the stairs. I ran into the guest room that acted as my temporary refuge and shut the door behind me. From there, I leaned against its wooden frame, listening.

After around ten seconds, I heard the subtle groans that meant one person had run up the stairs. Another fifteen seconds passed, and I heard the sound of a second. I couldn't tell who had left first, my brother or Isabella, but they'd gone to bed now.

I lied down on the bed and pulled my comforter to my chin, but my mind was reeling with questions. Mostly, _what the hell did I just walk in on?_ Ferb and Isabella? Or, _Bella_, as he'd called her? That just couldn't be possible.

They both had looked so intent, so captivated with each other, but there couldn't be anything going on between them, right? Isabella had loved Phineas for twelve years now; that much had always been obvious.

I suppose Ferb had acted edgy when I'd sent Phineas and Isabella to the supermarket earlier this week. I'd assumed that it was because he was grappling with the possibility of becoming a third wheel if things happened between his two friends, but what if it was because of something else altogether?

What if he, Ferb Fletcher, liked Isabella? That wasn't possible. That couldn't be possible. And yet…?

The next morning, I tried to talk to Ferb, but that was easier said than done.

The devious little Brit had managed to evade me five times. Two of those times were skill (he'd slipped into a room with dad or something right when I was swooping in), but three of them were just dumb luck in the form of Mom popping up and needing something.

Then Ferb left the house completely, leaving a note on the counter that said he was going out for the day with a friend who was visiting from Britain.

It was so frustrating! The boys knew about my curious nature, my desire to _know_. I'd just had the golden carrot dangled in front of my nose, but there was nothing I could do about it?

I suppose I could talk to Isabella, but she was avoiding me too. In fact, she hadn't even left Ferb's room yet—something that was definitely unexpected. Plus, it was a little weirder since we weren't actually related. She had no familial obligation to talk to me. I figured it would be better to not even go there.

Instead, I poured myself a second cup of coffee in the kitchen and mulled over my next plan of attack.

"Hi, Candace!" Phineas exclaimed, popping up beside me. I jolted, but quickly regained my composure.

"Hey," I smiled at my younger brother.

Phineas had grown into a handsome young man, but was still filled with so much child-like wonder. It used to bother me unlike any other, but that feeling had dwindled these past couple of years. Phineas never let anything affect him or get him down; I admired that.

"Do you know where Ferb is?" he asked. "I haven't seen him or Isabella all morning."

Little alarm bells started tolling in my head. Something was off about the tone of his voice. Did he suspect anything between Ferb and Isabella too?

"Ferb left a note. He said he has a friend in town and is spending the day with them. Isabella's still in her bedroom."

I carefully studied his expression, watching it change from distraught to relieved. The idea of Ferb and Isabella off together bothered him, that much was clear.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. It's his cousins, right? That makes sense."

He looked out the window, scratching his ear absentmindedly. Something was definitely up between the three teenagers. I wouldn't be Candace Flynn if I didn't get to the bottom of it.

"Ferb talks to you about stuff, right?" I leaned against the kitchen counter casually.

"Of course," he said cheerfully. "As much as Ferb talks, that is. Most of the time it's like we're playing a game of charades. But yeah, he always tells me stuff."

"So has he ever told you that he likes anybody?"

"Likes anybody?"

"You know," I sighed at my brother's obliviousness, "_likes_ anybody. Romantically."

"Well, yeah," Phineas responded easily. He crossed to the fridge and pulled out the carton of milk. "He used to have the biggest crush on this girl named Vanessa, but I think she was your age. It never went anywhere."

Vanessa, as in that goth chick? Huh… that was… odd, but entirely beside the point. "That was years ago. I'm talking about more recently. Has he come to you about anything?"

"No, but…" His intuitive eyes considered me, and a sly smile spread on his lips. "Candace, do _you_ think he likes somebody?"

Oops. _Backtrack! Backtrack! _"I don't know," I laughed as collectedly as possible, but he wasn't completely convinced.

"_Candace,_" Phineas practically whined. I had forgotten that Phineas' curious side was even stronger than mine. For him, not knowing something resulted in a crazy machine or scheme to find out no matter the cost. I had to diffuse this.

"I was just wondering," I commented casually. "Ferb is an enigma to me. He's a good-looking eighteen-year-old, a freaking genius, and has an accent that would drive any teenage girl wild."

"So?"

"So I was just curious if one had caught his eye. That's all."

"You know," Phineas rubbed his chin contemplatively, "Ferb has been acting a little… weird lately."

"How so?" I asked, leaning closer.

"He's been spending a lot of time with Isabella, and I think they've been talking. Like, _actually_ talking."

"Yeah?"

"I mean, it's surprising how much closer they've been acting when we're working on projects and stuff."

It was so hard waiting for the pieces to click in that romantically challenged brain of his. I could see he was so close to realizing what was going on, if only he'd finally put it together.

And he wasn't. He wasn't putting it together. Gah! I wasn't built to be patient!

"So Ferb's been spending a lot of time with Isabella, huh?" I said as suggestively as possible.

"Yeah," he said, still smiling.

"They seem closer?"

"Uh huh."

He stared at me for a few seconds, but I bit my tongue. Waiting… _waiting_…

Suddenly, he stood up straight, his eyes sparking with realization.

"That's it!" he exclaimed, pounding his fist in his hand. "Ferb's odd behavior, the sudden affection between him and Isabella… It all makes sense now!"

"_And…_" I prompted again, leaning even closer. Finally, _finally_! Phineas Flynn had a breakthrough.

"Ferb likes a girl, and is getting advice from Isabella!"

I almost fell over.

"I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner!" he continued. "It explains everything. They've been acting normal, but also… _closer _at the same time. The compliments, the glances, the whole cuddling on the couch thing—"

I almost had coffee come out of my nose. "Cuddling on the couch thing?"

"It would make sense that they'd grow closer. I mean, it's practically a scientific fact that secrets and advice giving creates a bond between people."

"Scientific fact? Phineas, you do realize—"

"And since Ferb is getting advice from Isabella, they're becoming better friends!"

"Well, that's not quite what I—"

"It all makes sense!" Phineas exclaimed again, hugging me. "Thanks, Candace. You always know what's going on." He pulled back and beamed at me, and I could do nothing but stare back.

Really, this was all my fault. I should have known he'd get the wrong impression; I never should have underestimated my younger brother's skills for being oblivious.

"I can't believe I was ever upset with them. Isabella's just being there for Ferb. That's awesome." He finished his glass of milk and turned around to rinse it in the sink.

I faltered; what he said was slowly weaving its way across the synapses in my brain, setting off an alarm on its way; "wait, you were upset with them?"

"Well I was, but not anymore!" He put his glass in the dishwasher, and bounded towards the stairs. I raced after him and grabbed his wrist.

"Phineas, why were you upset with them?" I made sure every ounce of seriousness I possessed went into the question.

His cheeks turned a little red, but he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Something about how they'd been acting towards each other really bothered me. Honestly, Candace, I don't know why. It just did. But that's not an issue anymore."

With that, he went up the stairs, leaving me with one strong and foul thought: _oh shit_.

My relationship savvy brain had no trouble putting the pieces together.

_Isabella loves Phineas. Phineas, oblivious sweetheart that he is, unintentionally turns down Isabella for years. Ferb comforts the heartbroken Isabella. Isabella and Ferb become close friends. Ferb falls for said girl in the process of mending her heart time and time again. Ferb finally acts on those feelings. Isabella becomes confused. Things start happening there. Phineas starts noticing. Said oblivious redhead discovers he doesn't like it._

To top it all off, Phineas had just gained the entirely wrong impression about what was going on between his brother and best friend… accidental courtesy of me.

Yeah… _oh shit_ just about summed it up.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Well, there you go! It was fun writing as Candace. Kudos to those who figured it wasn't Phineas who walked in on them. How disastrous would that have been? XD No, giving Phineas that big of a nudge would destroy some of the tantalizing drama I have planned coming up (insert evil laugh here)._

_Anyhoo, your reviews make my day! I'm so happy when I see them!_

_By the way, let me just emphasize… Candace noted there was a whole ten seconds that passed before the first teenager (Ferb or Isabella) went upstairs..._

_What could have been done or said in those ten seconds?! (Dun dun duuuuun)_

_You'll find out soon enough._

_Random writer none of you know is out, peace!_


	16. Knock on Wood

_Yes, yes… I know Phineas was _very_ oblivious, but I still think it's within his character. He's so positive that it borders on naive (sweetheart that he is!) so his brain would automatically jump to the conclusion that has the least drama/is what he wants to hear. I face palmed with you, but it was fun to write._

_I updated quickly, but I had a writing spurt, and by the time I made it to chapter 21, I figured I might as well post. The chapter AFTER this, you get to find out what was said between Isabella and Ferb in those ten empty seconds… and chapter 20, things get PRETTY heated. I'm excited._

_To those who reviewed last chapter (sadly only three of you guys), you rock!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

Knock on Wood

**ISABELLA**

It hadn't been hard to keep myself occupied while hiding out in Ferb's room; I was busy typing away on my computer.

I'd really come to love creative writing, especially after growing up with Phineas and Ferb. Our adventures made an excellent foundation for stories… even if I may have twisted a few things and played up the drama and romance.

Today, however, I was in the middle of a non-PnF story. It was a short and sad one in which I personified a swing set. It spoke of abandonment and deteriorating purpose, though I wasn't exactly sure what fueled my desire for such a depressing story.

At least the writing was doing its job for the morning: avoiding Candace. Much to my surprise, she hadn't come so far.

Knock on wood.

More specifically, there was a knock on the wood door, right as I thought that.

"Who is it?" I called out hesitantly.

"It's me," came Phineas' voice. "Can I come in?"

_At least it wasn't Candace_. "Sure thing, Phineas."

A second later, he opened the door and walked in.

"Good morning," I said cheerily, though my eyes still focused on the screen. He sat down next to me, but I was in the middle of the perfect thought. I was so close to getting my wording just right, and I had to get it down. "Hold up."

Phineas was never one to be patient, though. He had the brainpower and skill to get things done very quickly, and rarely had to wait; if something was in his way, he made a fun way around it.

He started playfully tugging on the ends of my hair.

"That's not going to work like it did when we were twelve, Phineas," I laughed, my fingers skidding across the keyboard.

"Oh come on!" He chuckled, letting the tips of my hair go.

"You can't rush me. I'm almost done."

He lied back on the bed, his arms propping up his head. "You're so serious."

"I just got a scene. I have to get it down!"

He sighed melodramatically, though I could tell he wasn't too bothered.

"Just a couple more minutes," I promised.

Precisely two minutes later, Phineas sat up, scooting closer to me and looking over my shoulder.

"_I knew how he saw me,_" his voice hummed. "_My bars were old and speckled, and it had been a long time since they'd held the weight of a child._ _Our voices were gone, withered and broken, but we still talked—him with gleam of light off his eyes, and me with the croaking tenor of my rusting chains._"

I slammed my computer lid shut, partially because I was self-conscious about people watching me write over my shoulder, and partially because I couldn't handle Phineas reading my words back to me, so close I could feel his breath on my neck.

"You're not supposed to read—"

"Isabella, that's amazing!" he exclaimed. I felt my cheeks heating up, though I wasn't sure if it was because of the compliment, or because Phineas was still so close, talking into my ear. "It sounded sad, though."

He finally met my gaze, and it seemed to dawn on him how close he actually was to me. He quickly sat back, but showed no signs of being nervous.

"It's from the perspective of a swing set," I clarified, just to have something to say.

"Personifying a swing set, huh?" His eyes glinted in that special way they did when he had a new Big Idea. "I think I know what we're going to do today!"

"Aren't you supposed to be telling that to Ferb?" I asked with a giggle.

"I would, but some of his cousins are in town, and he's spending the day with them."

"Oh, that's nice," I mumbled.

I'll admit I was a little sad Ferb wouldn't be with us all day, but no matter what complications were going on, we were all friends first. A day with Phineas was nothing to be sad about. In fact, it was something I'd wanted for years.

Carpe Diem, right?

"Yeah," Phineas sighed, "but I guess it puts a damper on my plans for an anthropomorphizing ray. Ferb wouldn't want to miss that."

His chin slumped onto his hand contemplatively, just like he'd done for years under the tree with his brother. I always thought he was cute when he did that, with that crease in his brow, and the way his lower lip stuck out just slightly.

The familiar move only served to remind me why I liked Phineas, which was extremely confusing right about now.

Being around the redhead felt so natural, so soothing. Things were easy around him. As of late, being around Ferb was the opposite; it made my heart jump in anxious, sporadic ways, our every interaction making a muddle of my mind.

"Well…" he started slowly, "I suppose we could just go to a real swing set. Poke around the park for the day." Surprise danced in my eyes, and he chuckled. "Yeah, I know it's pretty low-key, but it wouldn't feel right building something without Ferb."

A whole day with Phineas, hanging out together at the park? I could never pass up an offer like that.

"Okay. Just let me get dressed real quick." I kicked him out of the room and made my way to the closet. Ferb had cleared out half of it so I could bring some of my clothes over instead of making trips back and forth to my house.

I ran my hands over the colorful fabric, eventually landing on the yellow top I wore a month and a half ago, on the Valintaversary day. Phineas' favorite color… It was hanging right next to the red shirt Ferb had complimented when we were cutting out hearts, but I tried not to look at it.

I grabbed the bright blouse and slipped it on. I was debating between a cute white skirt or a pair of jeans, but since we were going to the park, I went with the latter. After tugging a brush through my tangled mane and tying in a yellow ribbon as a hairband, I zipped out the door.

I'd nearly crashed into Phineas, who was waiting on the other side, but he jumped back with a laugh.

"That was quick."

I smirked; rapid-fire getting ready was something a girl learned pretty quickly if she was going to survive as "one of the boys." Especially if one of those boys was Buford, who would rag on anything he deemed was "over-excessive girliness."

"I'm low maintenance," I quipped, clasping my hands behind my back and batting my eyelashes.

I hadn't tried to flirt with him in a while, and it was comforting. My brain calmed down from the chaos my life had been as of late, as if to say, _ah, yes… _this_ is familiar territory_. I flirted with Phineas. It was a quintessential part of being Isabella.

Phineas didn't notice my amorous tone of voice, but what else did I expect? That was the norm. I still wouldn't disappoint my younger self by not seizing such an awesome opportunity.

On the way out the door, I passed by Candace. I was worried she'd pull me aside to interrogate me about what she'd seen last night, but instead she shot me a look that I almost took as… apologetic?

I faltered for just a second, sending her a quizzical look of my own, but Phineas grabbed my wrist and tugged me along, discussing possible wiring issues we may encounter when we built the personifying laser.

We stopped on the front porch to take in the atmosphere; it was maybe the nicest day of summer yet! It was around seventy-five degrees and sunny, but there was a nice breeze that made the trees languidly sway as if waving hello. Kids passed by on bikes, adults were gardening, and, with the cheery redhead beside me, I couldn't wait to get out into the world.

We went to Danville Park and poked around a small playground for an hour, telling jokes and talking about future inventions. Eventually, we'd had our fair share of lazy swinging, and drifted into just walking around the park, ditching the sidewalks to stroll around the greenery.

Phineas did most of the talking, but I didn't mind; behind that child-like façade lingered many profound thoughts. It was worth listening to. The only person I knew who could rival, even beat, the redhead with that philosophical ingenuity was F—

_Don't go there, Isabella. Not right now._

Phineas recounted a story from last summer's engineer camp. It was one I'd heard quite a few times, but it was funny, and I loved how animated he got when he told it.

"And to this day," he laughed, "I have no idea why Ferb said that, or how Baljeet's underwear got all the way—"

He stopped walking and smiled. I stopped too, waiting for him to finish. When he didn't I followed his line of sight. He was looking across the way at a silver pushcart with a pink umbrella. It had a small crowd of people around it, nearly blocking it from our sight, but it was easily recognizable.

"Want some ice cream, Isabella?" Phineas asked suddenly, veering in the direction of the brightly painted ice cream stand.

"Ice cream?"

"Yeah!" He pulled out in front of me, but turned around so he was walking backwards. "My treat!"

I couldn't focus on the park, the delectable sweets, or his question, because I was mulling over one of my own; was Phineas actually offering to buy _me_ ice cream after a day of strolling around a park together?

I couldn't think straight. Walking around a park, excessive amounts of alone time, and now a treat paid for by the gentleman… this was the closest thing I'd ever had to a date. And I was with Phineas. _Phineas._

Sure, I'd been asked out in high school, but I just couldn't bring myself to date other guys. I turned them down as sweetly as I could, and _this_ was why: having days like these with Phineas after he finally realized what could be between us.

I mean, I know this wasn't a date, and he hadn't done any "realizing." Phineas was a sweetheart, and did the sweetheart thing by offering to buy. But still, it was the closest he and I had ever gotten to the real deal.

I should be enjoying it, and I was, but I also had this nagging sense of guilt. Part of my brain—the part that was outrageous, and scandalous, and impossible, and yet _still there_—was whispering, _what about the quiet British boy?_

"Of course you want ice cream," Phineas chuckled when I didn't respond. "You wait here. I'll be right back."

He took off toward the cart. My mind was still reeling, but I called out, "Phineas—"

Honestly, I wasn't sure why I had, or where I was going, but he yelled back, "don't worry, Isabella. I know what flavor you want."

He was right, of course. After so long of knowing each other, simple things like favorite ice cream flavors were as familiar as our reflections.

I just wasn't sure if staying here alone was the best idea; it gave me _way _too much time to think.

Knock on wood.

Less than a minute later, Phineas came running back. His cell phone was pressed to his ear and he kept making offhand confirmations, like _uh huh _and _yeah._

"Phineas?" I started, and he winked at me.

"Sure thing… Of course! Bye." He hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"What's going on?"

"Great news and bad news, Isabella!"

"Ok?"

"The bad news… we're going to have to get a rain check on that ice cream." I nodded my head, motioning for him to go on. "The great news… oh, wait until I tell you this! You'll never believe what I just heard…"

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Not my best cliffhanger, but hopefully it will keep you guys coming back. _

_To those who complain there's not enough Phinabella: there is, just in ways that are less out there. With the two of them, it's the little things that show that he cares. He doesn't flirt, but he does compliment and that says a lot for him. And he's massively unaware of romance as it pertains to him… FOR NOWWWW…_

_Insert evil laugh._

_Thanks for the support! Tune in _*static* _for the next exciting chapter of Enough… Same Bat time! Same Bat channel!_

_Lilly is out, peace!_


	17. Complication

_Tada! A surprise update very soon. And you guys are in for a treat, because this is TWO CHAPTERS. I realized my writing was really ahead of posting, all the way on Chapter 23, so I mushed together 17/18 and then 19/20 into super chapters instead. You're welcome :)_

_The wait is over! __The content of that mysterious ten seconds is finally revealed, and boy is it getting to my precious Ferb._

_Once again, thanks to you reviewers. Love ya! Special, special thanks to HigherSilver and Enula, who have __shown a lot of support every time I update!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

Complication

**FERB**

_Thank goodness it wasn't Phineas._

After Candace had interrupted us last night, that was all Isabella had said before she ran upstairs.

Today was beautiful—the epitome of an impeccable summer in Danville, and the perfect day to be hanging at the park with my cousins. Sadly, even as Eliza and Beckham caught me up on recent events from across the pond, I couldn't stop thinking about those five words. They were eating away at me.

_Thank goodness it wasn't Phineas. _

But it was Phineas, it was always Phineas.

I'd hoped that, before Candace came upstairs, Isabella and I had been having a moment. We were finally getting somewhere, right? Nope. At the drop of a hat, her thoughts snapped straight back to my brother.

I hated it. It made me wonder if I was chasing something impossible… again. It took me a few years to realize Vanessa was never going to happen. That should have made me learn my lesson, yet here I was, falling for another girl that would never be mine.

"Are you okay, mate?" Beckham asked, putting his hand on my shoulder and snapping me back to the present.

"You do look a little knackered," Eliza chimed in.

I flashed them my usual smirk and gave them a thumbs up.

"Well, what have you and Phineas been up to as of late?" The amount of curiosity in my cousins' eyes was refreshing, and I made a renewed attempt at staying alert in the conversation.

We grabbed ice cream from the local ice cream cart and made our way to a park bench—newly painted, thanks to the Fireside Girls. I recounted the many inventions Phineas, Isabella and I made this summer, from our contraptions to the community service projects, and every scheme in-between.

I was just detailing how Isabella kicked Buford's butt at spherical balloon maze laser tag, when Eliza interrupted me.

"Are you ever going to ask her out?"

It was rare for people to take me off-guard, but my older cousin had managed just that. I froze mid-bite of creamy deliciousness, while Beckham nearly choked on his. After a second, I regained my composure and cleared my throat.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That's a load of bollocks," Beckham muttered under his breath. It was Eliza's turn to be scandalized, this time by my younger cousin's language.

"Beck!" she exclaimed, but it wasn't enough to completely distract her from me. "And do not give me that load of tosh, Ferb. You fancy her."

"Of course I don't," I lied. "We're best friends, the three of us. Isabella, Phineas, and I."

"So have you snogged her yet?" Beckham cut in, never afraid to be blunt.

"Beckham!" Eliza started, once again taken aback by her brother's words.

"What?" the younger Brit cut back defensively. "It's an honest question. You want to know if he fancies her, I want to know if he's given her a good snogging. I personally don't see the difference."

I hoped Eliza would get on Beck's case instead of pursuing further questioning. Naturally, luck was not on my side. The ever-inquisitive Eliza chose to forgo scolding her brother's "vulgarity" to study me.

I resolutely stared down my ice cream cone. Maybe if I focused on it hard enough, it would explode, and I could avoid this conversation. I hadn't talked to anyone about this except Isabella, and I had no intentions of changing that.

"Wait," she gasped, "have you?"

I hadn't expected Eliza to read me like that, and it made me nervous about what other people saw when I was around or talked about Isabella. Were things that obvious?

I stared even harder at the frozen treat in my hands. An explosion would be helpful. Any time now… just a nice, simple explosion. Was that too much to ask?

"Oh my god, are you _blushing_?" Eliza leaned forward, making it nearly impossible to avoid her eyes. Next to her, Beckham laughed; they had all the answer they needed.

"Smashing, Ferb! You sly bloke! How long has this been going on?"

Simultaneously, Eliza was gushing, "Awwwww… Ferb and Isabella. It's so adorable!"

"It's nothing," I said quickly.

"Your red cheeks attest otherwise, cousin dearest," Eliza laughed, poking my side.

_Thank goodness it wasn't Phineas._

"There's _nothing_ going on between us," I repeated.

"Bull," Beck exclaimed, laughing along with his sister.

_Thank goodness it wasn't Phineas._

"_Shove off_," I muttered, knocking Eliza's hand away. All laughing stopped.

"Ferb, what is wrong?" she asked softly. I sighed and finally met their eyes. They meant well, and maybe it would help to talk to someone about this.

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I fancy her. Yes, I… I've even kissed her."

"I sense there's a 'but' in here somewhere," Beck commented dryly.

"_But _nothing is happening between us. And nothing ever _will _happen between us. There's… there's a… complication."

Complication. Not a word I would usually use to describe Phineas. I could tell they wanted more, but how did one explain that they were in love with a girl who was in love with their brother?

_Whoa_… backtrack. I _was not_ in love with Isabella. It was a crush… just a crush…

"What is the complication?" Eliza asked gently. The softness in her tone only added to my embarrassment.

Then a flash of yellow and black caught the corner of my eye, and my head snapped to the side. Across the park, I saw none other than the topic of our conversation: Isabella… who was with my quirky little brother.

They were laughing. Phineas was obviously telling a story, gesturing in that energetic way he had. Then he saw the ice cream cart, said something, and ran toward it. Isabella looked stunned, and he called something back to her as she waited behind.

I silently, cursed; out of all the things Phineas could do today, he had to go out with Isabella to the park where I was chatting with my cousins. Now they could see my brother on his friend-date, hanging with my Isabella and buying her ice cream like a proper gentleman.

After only a few seconds in line, Phineas answered his phone, talked on it briefly, and ran back to Isabella.

He said something, and she broke into a massive smile, giddily bouncing up and down on her toes. She threw her arms around him energetically, then pulled back, talking a million miles a second. Phineas laughed, and said something back.

Then he reached over and took her hand, and my breathing hitched. That was not something one did on a friend-date. Not Phineas, at least. He started tugging her in the other direction, but it felt like he was tugging on my heart instead. In a second, they were gone.

"_Oh_," Eliza breathed. I looked back at my cousins, but they continued to stare across the park, where my brother and Isabella had just been. They'd seen the whole thing.

"The complication?" Beck asked, thought he didn't need an answer anymore.

"They're meant for each other; ask anyone in Danville, and they'll tell you." Although I tried to sound casual, I couldn't hold back the bitter twinge to my voice.

"Anyone… but you," Eliza replied.

"Oh no," I laughed, the sound sharp and void of humor, "no, I'll tell you the same thing. Phineas and Isabella. Isabella and Phineas. Phinabella, as our friends call them behind their backs. They're the epitome of a perfect couple."

"And the two of you…?"

I watched the ice cream melt down my fingers, but I didn't really want any more.

"Like I said, it's nothing."

"But you said that you and she—that you kissed," Eliza restated.

"And I should have known better," I cut back. "She loves Phineas. She's always loved Phineas for as long as I remember. End of story."

I got up and crossed over to a trashcan to dispose of my uneaten treat. My cousins shuffled after me.

Eliza grabbed my arm. "Oh, don't be such a… such a Gumby!"

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Gumby?"

"I suppose to a _Yank_ like you, that'd be a mild and polite way of calling you a moron," Beck chimed in.

"The point, Ducky," Eliza cut back in, "is that if you found someone who accepts you—"

"Nerdy Boffin that you are," Beckham mumbled, only to get hit by his sister.

"What I am saying," she continued, "is that if you like Isabella, and she accepts you for you, you should go for it."

_Thank goodness it wasn't Phineas._

"I appreciate your words, your sentiment, everything, but you don't get it. She loves _him_. Therefore, bottom line, me and Bella—_Isabella_—are just not possible."

"But—"

"It's _not possible,_" I cut back more harshly than I'd intended, and Eliza's face fell.

"So…" she said after a long, awkward minute of silence, "what are you going to do, then?"

That was a heavy question. What would I do? There only seemed to be one answer. I would make my best friend happy. By extension, I would make my brother happy… eventually. I wouldn't put Isabella in a position where she'd have to break my heart. I wouldn't force her into that situation knowing she'd hate herself for it.

I would friend zone myself.

* * *

**PHINEAS**

"Wait, so he's _finally _going to propose?" Isabella clarified, her eyes wide at the news I'd just delivered.

"Yeah, he's doing it tonight, and he wants our help."

"_Oh my god,_" she squealed, tossing her arms around me in an enthusiastic hug. "Candace is going to be so happy!" She pulled back, still bouncing up and down on her toes. "I can't believe this! I'm _so_ excited to for them!"

"Yeah, but we're pressed for time. On the phone, Jeremy said he'd meet us at our house during his lunch break. While he and Candace finish their work shifts, you and I are going to set everything up. We have to hurry!"

She glanced at her wristwatch. "Phineas, are you saying we have five hours to plan and set up the perfect engagement?"

"Precisely why I said we have to hurry!" I took her hand and pulled her in the direction of home. "Come on!"

The park wasn't too far from our house, maybe around seven or eight blocks away, so we took it at a jog.

"You know," Isabella panted next to me, "if I'd known we'd be running, I wouldn't have worn flats."

"I know," I huffed, "but his break only lasts an hour, and it started forty minutes ago."

After a couple minutes, she spoke again.

"Phineas, can I ask you something?"

"You just did," I joked. Her hand flew out and smacked the back of my head. It wasn't hard—in fact, it only made me want to laugh—but she got her message across. "Sure, ask away."

"Candace and Jeremy have been dating for seven years now. Why is he just now proposing? Were there…" she faltered, obviously embarrassed to be asking, but curious all the same. "Were there any problems between them?"

I laughed. "Problems? Between Jeremy and Candace? Definitely not. Those two are perfect for each other."

"Then why—?"

"Because it wasn't really pragmatic." She shot me a questioning look, so I continued. "Think about it, Izzy. Jeremy travels a lot for his job. He has so many conventions and stuff that send him here or there. That's rough to handle with a fiancé or spouse. Getting married never fit into his work life."

"Then why is he doing it now?"

"Didn't I tell you about his promotion?" I queried, and she shook her head. Huh, I guess in my excitement, I forgot to tell her. "Yeah, he'll be getting better pay, and the job will keep him closer to home. They told him today, and the second they did, he went out and bought the ring."

"Oh, that's so romantic!" Isabella crooned, her running taking on an almost skip-like quality.

When we made it to our house, both of us were winded, but seeing Jeremy waiting out front, a giant grin plastered on his face, made our fatigue disappear.

We greeted him with excited shouts and hugs.

"Can we see the ring?" Isabella begged, practically bouncing in front of him. Jeremy laughed.

"Nope, sorry. I want Candace to be the first one to see it," he said with mirth. Then he shot Isabella a smirk, tacking on, "heaven knows she's waited long enough."

Isabella turned pink—what was that about?—but quickly recovered with a cry of, "that's so sweet!"

"Look," Jeremy sighed, " I have to get back to work soon, but I wanted to recruit your guys' help. I want to propose in your backyard, where we hung out, had dates, and even our first kiss. I think it'd mean the world to her, but I also want it to be special. Romantic. Something a little out of the ordinary."

"I think we can manage that," I said with a grin.

"Good!" Jeremy called, making his way to his car. "I get off half an hour before she does, so we can go over the nitty gritty then. Thanks, guys!"

Isabella and I waved goodbye before crossing over to the back gate.

"Well, Phineas," she sighed, "what are we going to do?"

I leaned against the fence, pondering that question. Romance was never my forte, as Buford constantly teased, but I was sure I could come up with something. After five minutes, the ideas started flowing… although I wasn't sure how good they were.

"We could build a giant replica of some great date place, but personalize it. Like… like… The Chinese Can…dace Theatre!" I declared. "You know, like The Chinese Man Theatre, but—"

"Probably not," she chuckled.

"We could try another romantic cruise?" I didn't like recycling ideas, but that seemed to work for Baljeet years ago.

"No. Besides, Jeremy wants it in the backyard."

"Well, then we could set them up a romantic dinner. Right here," I began again, motioning to the grassy space in front of the tree. Isabella smiled; I was on the right track. "And we could rig the whole place to use exploding—"

"Oh, Phineas, you're hopeless!" she sighed, throwing her arms out in exasperation. "Candace wouldn't want that. She'd want something simpler. Think more personal and romantic."

"But—"

"No giant contraptions," she laughed, "and most certainly no explosions."

No contraptions and no explosions? Honestly, I had no idea where to go from there. I rested my hand on my chin.

"Well we could… no, I suppose that would be considered a contraption." I mulled even harder, tapping into those parts of my brain reserved for pure creation. "What about… no, that would lose 57% of its coolness without explosives involved."

"You'll get it," Isabella encouraged quietly. "'You'll eventually get it."

There was something I couldn't quite understand in her voice, but I couldn't dwell on it. One hundred percent of my thinking skills had to go into tonight; Candace deserved it.

Finally, the solution dawned on me.

"That's it! I've got it!" I proclaimed.

"About time." Isabella snorted and gave me a teasing smile. "So what do you got?"

"You!"

I could tell that wasn't what she'd been expecting. A solid seven seconds passed before she spluttered out a, "what?"

"You! You're the answer! They say love is war, and I'm declaring myself unfit for duty."

"Phineas, you're not making any sense."

I took her hand and pulled her to the center of the yard.

"I'm terrible with all of this romance stuff," I said, and she burst out laughing. Was what I said that funny? I continued anyway. "I'll mess it up, but not you. You can make this perfect."

I could almost see the weight press down on her shoulders.

"Phineas, I don't—I don't know if—"

"Guys ask you out at school all the time, so you must be doing something right. If anyone can plan the perfect engagement for my sister, it's you!"

Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink, and I realized my comment embarrassed her. That confused me, though; I'd done nothing but report the facts. Everyone loved Isabella.

Finally, after what felt like forever of studying my face, she muttered, "okay. But we've only got one afternoon to set up the perfect night. We've got a lot to do."

"We've done far more with far less time." A grin broke across my face, and I stood at attention, like a cadet in military school. "What's your command, Captain Isabella?"

She giggled, but grew serious again. I could practically see the gears turning in that head of hers. A sly smile crept across her lips, and I knew she had it.

"Phineas, I know what we're going to do today." The way she said that, her eyes gleaming with determination, gave me an excited chill. "Go get some gardening tools and your chemistry kit."

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Sorry if I messed up Ferb's British cousins. I'm far from British, but I did my best._

_Poor Ferb. Right as he was getting somewhere with Isabella, Phineas gets drawn back into it. It's like a slap to the face :( Poor baby. What will Ferb "__friend zoning" himself with Isabella look like? Probably not all that pretty XD_

_Next chapter is intense. Ferb tries to friend zone… but Isabella is adorable. Disaster ensues. What kind of disaster, you might ask? Tune in next time to see. Same Bat time, same Bat channel!_

_Haaaaaaaave a happy day!_


	18. Practice

_So… Ferb completely friend zoning himself with Isabella… won't that be interesting. And messy._

_I was so excited… 40 reviews? Yay! Those reviews really make my day; I love it! Keep them coming, and the story shall keep trucking along. Well… I'd be writing and posting this even it was for a field of crickets, because I'm reeeeeeally nerdy, but reviews definitely help! Reviews = happiness for this writer. Well, writing = happiness for this writer, but you know what I mean :)_

_Longest chapter yet, but like I mentioned last time, this is two chapters in one!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

Practice

**FERB**

After saying goodbye to Eliza and Beckham for the day, I made my way back home. I was about to head in the front door, when I heard a strange _whooshing _noise coming from the back of the house. It seemed only natural that that's where Phineas and Isabella would end up after a day of… whatever they'd been doing together.

My backyard had been home to many strange things. There'd been over a decade of impossibilities that happened inside those average, suburban planks of wood that made our fence, so one would think I'd long lost my ability to be surprised.

Well, that was definitely false.

The first thing that hit me was the smell, wafting through the air and entering my lungs before I'd even touched the gate handle. I couldn't quite pin it down, but it was lovely. It was definitely floral, but brought to mind spring, a light breeze, and something else, something altogether feminine.

I walked through the gate, and my mind was immediately overwhelmed.

The inside of our fence was covered by mixing lattices of dark green ivy. Or were they light green? Each leaf shimmered from shade to shade: moss, mint, forest, acid, teal, olive, and then the color of a perfectly ripe green apple.

From where I stood, a path had been formed leading to the center of the yard, where there was a table for two. On either side of the walkway grew roses, densely bunched together by the dozens.

Like the ivy on the fence, the roses changed colors, from red to pink irregularly. There were hundreds of them just along the short walk to the table, creating a sea of shifting hues, from the color of blood to blush to bubblegum.

I walked up to the table to see that it was intricately woven together from what I thought were rose stems, though there wasn't a thorn in sight. The same went for the chairs, which looked like those you'd see in an old-fashioned French café, though made out of greenery instead of iron.

It had to be one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. Somehow, my backyard had been turned into the perfect romantic alcove, a natural quixotic wonderland.

"Isabella, you ready?" came my brother's voice from… above me?

"Ready, Phin. On my mark." My neighbor called back. My eyes traced up the tree trunk—also covered in ivy now—and into the foliage above. From somewhere inside the leaves, Isabella counted down, "three, two, _one._"

A _whooshing _filled the air, like someone had turned on one of those power hoses that were meant to wash decks. Little buds sprung up through the leaves, blooming into small, kaleidoscopic roses like the ones on the ground.

"Perfect!" Phineas hollered. A second later, he and Isabella dropped to the ground, high-fiving each other with massive grins. "You're a genius!"

"Well _you're_ the one who created the plant serum," she responded pleasantly.

"Yeah, but if you hadn't thought of it—"

They both turned around, and Isabella almost ran into me. Apparently, neither had noticed my arrival, because the girl shrieked and jumped almost two feet in the air, and my brother nearly dropped this weird hose-device-thing he was holding, coming the closest I'd ever seen to him cussing.

"_Fudge_, Ferb," he blurted out, his hand flying to his chest in shock. "I know you're as silent as a ninja, but you could at least give a bro a warning!"

After Isabella got over her initial fright, she started bouncing up and down in that giddy way she had earlier today.

"Ferb, you'll never believe it! We've got great news!" she gushed, grinning from ear to ear. "Guess what's _finally _happening!"

My eyes shot from her face, to my brother, and back.

I know I'd told my cousins that Phineas and Isabella were made for each other. I'd spent the rest of the afternoon convincing myself that I'd resign to being her friend so she wouldn't struggle with the idea of choosing. She would be happy with Phineas.

But standing here, I wasn't sure if I could actually be okay with what was "finally happening." I was usually the master of controlling emotions, but could I pull off the role of supportive brother and best friend when Phineas was with Isabella?

As if she could read my mind, the girl in front of me suddenly went pale.

"Oh! No! That's not—I… Candace!" She quickly blurted out. "I was talking about Candace!"

"Jeremy's going to propose," Phineas added on, ignorant to how I'd taken Isabella's words. "Isn't that awesome!"

I hadn't realized how tightly my chest had been knotted until their words sunk in. It was like someone had pulled a base block from Jengo, and an entire tower of anxiety came crashing down.

_They're not together. They're still just friends._

"So what do you think, Ferb?" my brother asked. "Romantic enough for you?"

I nodded my head; the backyard really did look amazing.

"Isabella was the one who came up with the idea to create an enchanted garden," he said humbly. "It took me a solid three hours to perfect my genetic splicing to get the plants to change colors."

"And another hour going around and getting them to grow," Isabella added on. "It's too bad you weren't here, though, because it was a lot of fun. Phineas whipped up these super hose blaster things," she gestured to the device in Phineas' hands, "and wherever we sprayed them, _bam, _these plants grew!"

I smiled at how enthusiastic they both were, but I was also a little sad. They made such a great team.

"I hope you had fun with your cousins," said my brother, "but we're in crunch time now."

I pulled my hands from my pockets, silently asking what he needed built.

"There's no more building, but I have one more job to do. I need you and Isabella to help me while I finish programming the flowers."

I gave my brother a look, _programming the flowers_?

He grabbed my arm with one hand and Isabella's with the other. "You'll see," he said simply, dragging us back down the path to the gate. "You two wait here; I'll grab the command board."

As he trotted off, I crouched down and plucked a flower from a hedge. I wasn't sure how Phineas got it to change colors, but it was absolutely beautiful.

"Program the flowers?" I asked amusedly, still studying the flora.

"I have no idea," Isabella laughed. "It wasn't part of our original plan."

"It's a good thing you took charge."

"No joke. Phineas wanted explosives."

"Figures," I chuckled.

I stood up and turned back toward her, and my breath caught. She had her hands clasped behind her back, staring up at me with those big, captivating eyes of hers.

Without thinking, I brushed some of her hair behind her ear, pinning it there with the rose I'd picked. Her cheeks immediately burned the color of the flower, and I quickly looked away.

_I'm trying to be her friend! _I scolded myself. _Just her friend. _There's no way I'd be able to do that if I kept letting her destroy my self-control like that. I had to stop!

We stood in silence until Phineas returned.

"Nice flower, Isabella," he chirped. He sat on the ground in front of the glass-sliding door, holding a black control panel around the size of a kitchen tile. "Okey dokey, time for some technological magic!"

I flagged down my brother and quizzically raised my shoulder.

"Right, I forgot to tell you your roles. I have to program the flowers to coincide with Jeremy and Candace's movements, but who wants their younger brother watching their romantic engagement dinner?" he asked rhetorically. "Thus, I'm programming the flowers ahead of time to automatically do what they'll do based on movements in the yard."

"Where do we come in?" Isabella interrupted, voicing the question I was wondering too.

"You guys are the practice," he said casually.

Knowing my brother as well as I did, I realized exactly where this was going. What I didn't understand was _why. _Just a few days ago, Phineas seemed almost jealous, and now he was just fine with us being "practice"? What changed those suspicious glances into calm indifference?

I had a feeling it wasn't knowledge and acceptance of my feelings for the girl beside me, that's for sure. Maybe Isabella had said something? Or, more likely, Candace?

Yes, Candace. Definitely Candace. What ideas had she put into my little brother's head?

"You're going to act as Candace and Jeremy," Phineas elaborated. "While you walk around, going through the stages of the night, I'll calibrate the flowers to do what they have to do. That way, when it's time for the real Candace and Jeremy in…" he glanced at his wristwatch, "around an hour, everything will be automatic, and they can have some privacy."

I glanced down at Isabella, but she looked like she was still processing what Phineas had said.

"Wait," she began slowly, but Phineas cut her off.

"We don't have a lot of time," he said, pulling a screwdriver out of his shorts pocket and fastening a bolt on the back of the panel. "I'm… starting the infrared sensors in the microchips…"

"You have the roses wired with _microchips_?" I blurted out.

Phineas shot me a sassy look that seemed to say, _oh please, Ferb. I have the world wired._

"Just one more second… and… we're good to go." He finished his tinkering with a flourish of the screwdriver. I glanced back down at Isabella, but she still seemed confused.

"Practice?" she squeaked under her breath. Finally, she looked up at me.

It was hard to read quite was going on in that brain of hers. She gave me a shy smile, but her eyes glimmered with uncertainty. Phineas' intentions were 100% pure, completely in the name of setting up the perfect evening for our sister, but he'd put us in a really awkward position.

It had been said a billion times; _Phineas is oblivious. _But… _really?_ How could he not realize the tension that would arise from asking two people—regardless of whether or not they were grappling with feelings for each other—to go through the motions of a romantic dinner?

On top of the uncertainty, there was an apparent nervousness in Isabella's eyes… edginess, apprehension, insecurity—but what caught my attention the most was what wasn't there.

There was no disapproval. She hadn't scoffed. She hadn't rejected what Phineas had asked. She hadn't run from the notion of strolling down the path and sitting at that table with me, hadn't given any inclination that she wasn't okay with this.

She just stared, trying to let her eyes tell me things she herself hadn't even figured out yet.

In that moment, I realized Isabella was scared. Things were all mixed up, her interactions with her two best friends permeated with confusion and doubt, and all she wanted were some answers.

I know I'd come into the backyard tonight with the goal of just being a friend to her, but… I do pride myself on being a gentleman. And what gentleman wouldn't comfort a lady in distress? I couldn't give her the answers, but I could show her she had some friendly support, right?

A small smile stole across her lips, and I inwardly cursed.

Friendzone failures: 2, Self-control: 0.

I took her hand. Her eyes swelled in surprise, glancing from our interlocked fingers, to my face, to Phineas.

Yes, she'd be worried about what Phineas would think. She'd always be worried about what Phineas would think. I may not like it, but I could ease that fear for her, too. Clearing my throat, I spoke loud enough for my brother to hear.

"Anything for Candace, right?"

* * *

**ISABELLA**

"Well, Ferb," Phineas said from his spot by the door, "you never were one to do things half-way. Accuracy will help the infrared sensors with Candace and Jeremy later."

Phineas' tone revealed no sense of agitation when his brother took my hand. Should that bother me? Should it have bothered him? Perhaps I was overthinking things, but sometimes, situations just needed to be overthought! I swear, that whole nun thing—a Jewish nun… maybe I should rethink that—was becoming more and more appealing. I mean—

Ferb squeezed my hand, effectively halting my internal build-up to panic. His eyes danced with understanding, and I found myself staring into them for just a second too long. I quickly cleared my throat.

"Anything for Candace, huh?" I asked coyly. "You're such a _great_ little brother."

"Well, it's also in the name of… what did Phineas call it? _Technological magic._"

"Uh huh," I muttered under my breath, but I didn't pull my hand away. It felt… nice. Warm. "Let's just do what Phineas needs."

He shrugged, and we started walking forward. After a couple of steps, we quickly learned what Phineas had programmed; a faint glow came from behind us, and I glanced back.

Every rose that we'd passed was lit up like a tiny lantern. Each one had a weak glimmer, as if a tea light candle was in its center, and filled the air with shades of red and pink that shifted with the flowers.

The fact that Ferb and I were "practice", all the complications in my life, all of my concerns took a backburner to my current delight. I let out a childish giggle, dragging Ferb forward four more steps.

In sequence, the roses lit up just as we passed. I glanced from Phineas to Ferb, my eyes wide with glee. I'm sure I must have looked silly, but I couldn't help it! The roses were lighting up as we passed them! Hundreds of them!

It was like I'd just walked into a fairytale!

"This is amazing!" I squealed, pulling Ferb with me all the way to the table. I instantly turned around, watching the rose-lanterns ignite in our trail. "Look at all the color! It's _so_ pretty!"

Next to me, Ferb chuckled.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said, still snickering under his breath.

"_What_?" I asked more defensively.

"Nothing, Bella. It's just… beautiful." He shifted his gaze from me back to the garden. "Like a candlelight vigil. This will be perfect when the sun goes down."

There was that nickname again… _Bella._ I wasn't used to anyone but my mom having a nickname for me, but it felt kind of nice. Different.

The backyard got a little darker all of the sudden, and I glanced to my left. A patch of roses had gone out.

"Uh-oh, Phineas!" I called. The inventor's head snapped up from the control board. "A chunk of them went out."

"And this, lady and gent, is why we practice," Phineas called back good-humoredly, getting up to examine the dark patch of roses. "Looks like some of them have a faulty circuit. I can whip up a few new chips lickety split and fix it. You two hang tight."

Before I could say anything—really, what reason would I even have to protest, not being along with Ferb?—Phineas ran off to the garage.

And now… I was standing in the middle of a glowing rose garden, at sunset, holding hands with my best friend. _Of course. _My gaze was planted on the ground, resolutely avoiding looking at the boy in front of me.

"Isabella?" he asked gently.

The tone of his voice made me feel incredibly guilty. I owed it to Ferb to at least look him in the eye, didn't I?

Yes, yes I did.

With an incredible amount of hesitancy, I forced my eyes from the ground to meet… whoa…

Phineas and I had done our job a little too well. The abating sun and the glow from the flowers gave everything a surreal, magical aura. His face was lit up softly from every angle, setting off his eyes, which gleamed with an odd mixture of gravity and mischief.

Yes, I was standing here holding hands with my best friend, but_ damn_, I was standing here holding hands with my _very_ attractive best friend. I felt completely embarrassed for thinking that, but a) I figured my cheeks couldn't get any redder than they already were, and b) _damn._

I'm sure I had a funny look on my face, but I didn't know what to do with the realization that this boy I'd known since we were five was actually… _hot._

As if he could read my thoughts, his mouth curved into a smirk. My mind stopped working right then and there.

"I, uh…" I stuttered, lost in dark blue irises. "I—"

I was incapable of saying more.

I had a dizzy, lofty feeling that I didn't know how to handle. But just this once, I didn't _try_ to handle it it. I didn't know if it was the ambiance from the lights or the floral smell in the air, but I let myself dwell in this jumpy feeling he gave me.

I bit my lip. Ferb's eyes followed the movement, and he made a small, breathy noise in the back of his throat. It was soft, so much so that I wondered if I'd even heard it, but—

He pressed his lips to mine.

This wasn't like our first kiss a month ago. The fiery abandon from before was replaced by something altogether different, something hesitant. He didn't pull me to him, didn't embrace me. He just held my hand and let his mouth move against mine.

My shock dissipated, and I leaned into the kiss. My eyes fluttered closed, focusing on the pressure of his lips on mine. I could feel my pulse from my ears to my toes, but something was holding him back. He was being so cautious, so reluctant.

I could almost taste how fragile this moment was.

My free hand drifted up, hovering a centimeter over his chest. It lingered there, not touching him. I was too scared to close that little distance, to turn this into something where we actually _held._

But just as we were there, on that tantalizing tipping point where things would get heated, he pulled back. Actually, it was more like he jerked back.

"_Damn it_," he blew out in a huff, letting go of my hand. My mind was still fixed on a few seconds ago, trying to fill the void of warmth left on my lips after he stopped; I couldn't understand why he seemed so angry.

It sounded like he muttered, _damn_, under his breath again, but I couldn't tell, because he turned his back to me. Why was he mad?

"What's-what's wrong?" I barely whispered. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know his answer, too afraid of…

Rejection. I was afraid of rejection from Ferb.

That felt like an exceptionally heavy realization, but I'd have to stow it away for later analysis. I still hadn't fully processed what he—what _we_—had just done, before the boy in front of me did the absolute last thing I'd expected.

He laughed.

It wasn't humorous or full of mirth. Rather, it was more of a sad, pitying laugh, like a tragic hero who'd just realized his fatal flaw, and knew he could do nothing to atone.

"It's just… it's funny," he scoffed, still facing away from me. "I saw you earlier today at the park, and it just cemented something I'd always known; you and my brother are made for each other. I worked to accept that, to resign and build up my resolve to be what you need me to be: a friend."

"Ferb—"

"I thought I could. I was going to do my best to just be a friend to you, just as I've done for twelve years… but then it only took the smallest glimmer of an opportunity for me to take your hand and cross that freaking boundary again."

"Ferb—" I hated hearing this ireful tone in his voice. Ferb was never upset, spiteful, or cross, and seeing him on the border of it now was… scary.

"All you have to do is stroll on up to me with that… that look of yours—the one that you could flash anyone, and have anything in the world—and all of my determination, my resignation… it all goes to hell!"

I was a little taken aback by his outburst. It was rare for Ferb act like this, and I couldn't tell at whom his irritation was directed—me, or himself.

"Ferb, I—"

"_Stop _saying my name. Don't you see that's part of the problem? I've always had exorbitant amounts of self-control, and all you have to do is… is… bite your lip, or something ridiculous, and it all comes crashing down."

"Am I supposed to apologize for that?" I asked, his tone getting under my skin. Where was all of this coming from?

"You could, but it wouldn't matter. It wouldn't make a difference, because you'll just do what you always do. You always will, and try as I might, I can never be Phi—" he exhaled. "You're just... you are so… so… _frustrating_!"

"_I'm _so frustrating?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, Isabella," he responded, finally turning back toward me. His voice was once again completely calm, which made it even worse. "You are undeniably and extraordinarily frustrating."

There was a bang from the garage, and my head snapped to the side, worried Phineas was on his way back. A few seconds passed, though, and it became evident that wasn't an issue yet.

"Thank goodness it wasn't Phineas," Ferb said acidly, and my eyes darted back to him. Was that a shot at me? Was _that_ why he was so mad? _Newsflash_! I liked Phineas! Ferb should know that better than anyone, so why was he throwing that in my face?

"Is that what this is about? Phineas? And _you're _the one that kissed _me_! Twice! How is that _my_ fault?"

"_That's_ why you're frustrating!" he spat back, but I couldn't understand what he was getting at. All I knew was that I felt like he was accusing me, and I didn't like it.

We just stood there, fuming. At each other? At ourselves? At this whole situation? I wasn't sure if either of us knew; we were just mad.

I was right during the kiss, when I thought the moment was fragile. We'd somehow broken it, and I wasn't sure where the two of us would go from here.

Then Phineas came back into the backyard sporting a handful of microchips, and it was like someone had flipped a switch. Ferb's face, wrought with emotion a second ago, became completely smooth, almost pleasant.

Ferb's sudden change in demeanor only made me even more furious. I felt hurt, which grew to be more and more indignant with my anger, but I fought to not let that show. Just like the green-haired boy next to me, I put on a poker face.

"Order's up!" the redhead proclaimed, his voice cracking on the last word. He quickly fixed the roses that were having issues, and the whole section began glowing like the rest, but his movements were uncharacteristically antsy.

_Phineas Alarms_ started going off in my head.

"You okay?" I asked him, suddenly worried that he might have heard something. The idea was so horrifying I was worried I would give myself an ulcer.

"Yeah. Just got a message from Candace," he replied. "I guess it put me a little on edge."

"A message from Candace? What about?"

"Just about a conversation we had this morning." He shook his head dismissively. "Nothing too important."

He didn't scratch his ear in that nervous way he did when he lied, so I figured he was telling the truth. I felt a massive amount of relief; he hadn't heard Ferb and I's argument.

Then Phineas' eyes moved to study my face with a level of intensity that was unusual for him. The air was charged, heavy and awkward, and I could do nothing but stare back.

It didn't help that all of this—Ferb kissing me, our fight, and now Phineas' sudden interest in my eyes—was happening in the light of one of the most romantic settings imaginable. I could practically feel that ulcer developing.

After what felt like an eternity, Phineas' gaze softened and he smiled.

"What do you think of the roses?" he asked, regaining his usual attitude.

I mustered as much sweetness as I could. "They're beautiful, Phin."

"Looks like I'm not as bad at this romance stuff as Buford says, huh?" he laughed. "Who'd have thought?"

Ferb snorted, shooting me a look before saying, "yeah, bro. Looks like there's hope for you yet."

* * *

_R/R please!_

_I'm evil, but I stated from the beginning I wanted to mess with your shipping mind. Get you to see both sides, __because I love both shippings. Naturally, there shall only be one… but it's fun to have some... fun on the way._

_Oh Ferb… Poor baby. Kissing her was definitely a friend zone fail, and he was so frustrated with the fact he loves someone that he can't have that he picked a fight with her. And threw Phineas into it. And now they're fighting._

_PHINEAS! I'm devious, I know… what was with him at the end? What happened in that message from Candace that has Phineas acting so weird? You'll have to wait until the next chapter to see what's going on in his oblivious little head._

_Although maybe it's not so oblivious anymore ;) A little teaser… next chapter is called _Realizations. _Do with that what you will._

_~Lilly_


	19. Realizations

_Today is the one month anniversary of this story! YAY!_

_This is only one chapter this time, but the next one is the longest yet. Not my fav… but sets some stuff up. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER NINETEEN:

Realizations

**PHINEAS**

Everything was going perfectly. With Isabella's ideas and my inventing expertise, we created the most enchanting place for Jeremy to propose.

Now I'd revealed my surprise: the glowing lights I put in each rose while I was doing my genetic splicing. I knew they'd be pretty, but I was completely unprepared for how thrilled Isabella was. I was now exceptionally excited, because if Isabella loved it that much, Candace would absolutely freak.

I was so pleased that it didn't even bother me when some went of the roses went out. I quickly went to the garage and made some more chips. It was easy enough, and only took around five minutes.

I was just putting away my supplies, when my phone went off. I whipped it out, and my eyes swelled when I saw the message ID: Candace. I quickly slid my finger across the screen to read what she said, hoping beyond hope it didn't say she got off work early, or something. That would be disastrous.

My eyes quickly scanned the text, but I couldn't quite comprehend what she was saying. I reread it slowly, absorbing every word.

**Hey, bro. Listn, i no im not supposed 2 txt at work but its important. Our convo this mornin was rlly bothering me. I no i gave u the wrong impression about wat was goin on. I wasnt sayin Ferb was gttin advice from Isabella. ~C.**

I inwardly cringed at the atrocious grammar—it was the worst part about texting my sister—but I ignored it and quickly typed out a response.

**You don't think Ferb was going to Isabella for advice? What were you trying to imply, then?**

I anxiously waited for a reply. It was quick to come.

**Phineas, I luv u, but u r blind. Think bout the convo. U took it the wrong way. g2g, boss near. C u soon. ~C.**

I was blind? I took the conversation the wrong way? I mentally went through what was said earlier, about her suspicions that Ferb liked somebody, then my comments on how he'd been acting weird. Then Candace became really intrigued when I'd brought up Isabella.

But she didn't think Isabella was helping Ferb? The only other logical way for her to take that would be—

The box of tools I was holding tumbled out of my hands, crashing to the floor and scattering its contents.

For the first time in my life, profanity left my lips.

Candace couldn't… no, she couldn't possibly…

Did my sister actually suspect something was going on… between _Isabella and Ferb_?

That just wasn't possible. That couldn't be possible. Why would Candace even think that? They're close, yes, but all three of us were. We're the three musketeers, peanut butter, jelly, and bread, two peas and a pod, any other cliché of threes in the book.

I mean… I guess that might explain a couple things. Heck, I'd even said it myself: _the compliments, the glances, the whole cuddling on the couch thing_. I supposed that fit, but every cell in my brain still screamed, _no, that's not what's happening! _

It was a hypothesis, but there was no way it had the girth to be extrapolated into a theory.

No, Candace was definitely wrong.

Remembering my task, I cleaned up the tools and made my way back to the backyard, but I was unable to shake this uneasiness that came from Candace's insinuations.

I fixed the roses, all the while studying my best friend and brother. They weren't even holding hands now, so clearly they were just doing it before because I asked them to act as Candace and Jeremy.

I studied Isabella's face, trying to gage the emotions in her eyes, but it was hard. I was never really the best with feelings, and to make things harder, I kept getting sidetracked by the way the pink and red hues from the flowers flashed against her blue eyes. It was… highly distracting.

The only emotion I could glean from her was confusion, and that was probably just because I was staring at her like an idiot.

Thus, I tried to act as normal as possible. We continued calibrating the roses. I set the ones in the tree to light up when they sat down at the table. Then, for the grand finale, I set the ivy on the fence to glow when Jeremy got down on one knee.

I'd tried to dismiss what Candace said—I mean, Ferb and Isabella were just not possible!—but I still found myself studying every facet of their interactions.

The conclusion of my analysis: they didn't act like two people that liked each other.

They didn't talk, or hardly even look at each other. When I asked Ferb to get down on one knee for the scanners, he did so with an air of boredom, and Isabella didn't even glance at him. In-between stages of calibration, neither paid an ounce of attention to the other's existence.

Candace had to be wrong about the two of them.

A car horn came from out front; that'd be Jeremy. I glanced at my watch. Candace got off work in… five minutes ago?!

I scrambled to the front yard. Where had the time gone? Didn't Jeremy say he got off thirty minutes before she did? Why was he just getting here now?

Jeremy got out of his car, carrying a small bag.

"Hey, sorry I'm getting here later than I said," he called as he walked up the drive. "I realized there was the small matter of food. I wanted to have my own personal touch, so I stopped by home and made some grilled cheese."

"Grilled cheese?" Isabella asked, just emerging from the back yard.

"I know it's nothing fancy," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, "but it's her favorite, so I thought it'd be best."

"It's perfect," I exclaimed. I took the food from the blonde and gave it to Ferb to put on the table in the backyard. Everything was coming together.

I was filling Jeremy in on the infrared technology, telling him about the sensors, the waves they transmitted from each individual flower bud, and how their rays covered the whole yard, when Isabella laughed.

"It's all set up. Do what you want to do. The surprises will automatically come in from there," she summed up, and Jeremy nodded in appreciation.

I guess there's something to be said for simplicity.

Ferb returned from setting up the food, holding my control panel. I reset it, and the faint glow over the fence ceased. Now it would all light up again for my sister, and it wasn't a moment too soon; she was home.

Candace was a naturally paranoid person, so when she saw me, Ferb, Isabella, and her boyfriend on the front lawn, she immediately grumbled, "okay, what's going on?"

"I thought we'd have dinner," Jeremy replied casually, holding his hand out to his girlfriend, which she took with a suspicious stare.

"Uh huh."

She looked at him for a solid chunk of time, and he gave her a sheepish smile. Finally, she beamed and pulled him in for a kiss. I was suddenly really embarrassed to be there; I loved my sister, but I did _not_ want to see her PDA.

Then, she took everyone by surprise.

"My answer's yes," she sighed, looking into Jeremy's eyes.

"What? But I… I didn't…" he spluttered, his cheeks heating up.

"You didn't have to," she said, tugging him toward the gate. "But let's see what you have planned anyway."

Candace and Jeremy disappeared into the backyard, and we could hear their cries of delight. I was so excited for them; this was a day well seized.

Ferb, Isabella and I quietly went in the front door.

"That was so cute!" Isabella squealed once we were inside. "You're right, Phineas; they are a perfect couple! For her to realize what he was planning so quickly! And when she said, 'you didn't have to,' that was the cutest thing ever!"

I laughed; I guess I never realized how much of a helpless romantic she was.

"I know, and to think she's already said yes," I added on. "Should take some pressure off of Jeremy's shoulders. I'd give that a whopping _Mission Accomplished, _wouldn't you?"

"For sure," she beamed at me.

Ferb nodded before turning on his heel and going up the stairs. That was a little abrupt, even for my brother, but I followed after him.

"We could go to my room and play some games," I recommended, and both of my companions nodded.

Once in my room, I shuffled through my game case and found a four-player one we all enjoyed. When I looked back, I noted that Ferb and Isabella sat on opposite sides of the room. My neighbor looked expectant and my brother looked bored. This was completely normal.

I was a little confused; on what premise had Candace based her assumption? As they were now, the two of them were distant at best. Why would she even think they liked each other?

I'd have to try to pay more attention, but… Ferb and Isabella. _Ferb and Isabella?_

Nah.

* * *

**FERB**

My eyes traced the popcorn wall texture of my brother's ceiling for the third hour straight in a futile attempt to bring sleep.

Two days had passed since Isabella and I's quarrel in our backyard. That was two days of Phineas' Big Ideas: an anthropomorphizing ray and an impromptu karate tournament for charity. It was fun, but it was definitely _tense._

Isabella was unbelievably short with me, but I couldn't blame her for that. I kissed her, and then blew up at her. It wasn't like she had any control over that. It wasn't her fault she drove me crazy.

It also wasn't her fault I couldn't accept the long-standing and unconditional fact that she was in love with Phineas.

The result: we spent these past 55 hours pretending the other didn't even exist, beyond simple pleasantries to wane off suspicions from the rest of the household. Even those were terse.

Thankfully, after her engagement, Candace had been spending exorbitant amounts of time with her fiancé, so I didn't have to worry about her questioning me. My brother on the other hand…

Phineas had acted weird when he came back from the garage, mentioning a text message from Candace. Since then, he'd been studying… well… Isabella. A lot. Me as well, I suppose, but I noticed that less often. Probably because he was trying to be discreet.

The night of the engagement was the worst, watching him stare into Isabella's eyes in that transfixed way. Then there were the quizzical glances all through the set up and the video gaming. His scrutiny had persisted the next day, too, but whatever he was looking for, he seemed pleased.

By today, he was acting completely normal again.

Which brought me back to Isabella, with whom I most certainly was not acting normally. Things were a mess, and I was at blame.

Not to say I didn't have my justifications. It really was frustrating, knowing she liked me but _loved_ my brother. I was also mad because she had this terrifying way of making me lose control. And she didn't even realize it!

I felt ridiculous. After Phineas went to the garage, she finally met my eyes, and the look in hers almost made me pounce on her then and there. I barely held myself back. Then, because that wasn't enough, she had to go and bite her lip like that, which I found _extremely _sexy, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her.

Epic. Friendzone. Fail.

Then, when I was trying to be mad at her, she kept saying my name over and over. _Ferb…_ it was tormenting. If it weren't for the fact that I was so mad at myself, I would have tackled her to the ground and made out with her until morning.

Looking back, I definitely could have handled it better.

I got myself into a helpless situation, falling for my brother's girl. Now she probably thought I hated her, when the core of the problem was the exact opposite. My explosion, my harsh tone, it was all fueled by the fact that I lov—

Bloody hell, I wasn't going to sleep tonight. Guilty conscience plus futile realizations equals one restless night.

I felt too antsy to just lie here, though. I had to do something.

I got off the floor and made my way to Phineas' desk. It was hard to do in the dark, but it wasn't too long before I found what I'd been looking for: a pencil and a notebook. Once achieved, I snuck out of my brother's room and into the bathroom, where I turned on the light and slipped to the floor.

There were a million things I wanted to say to Isabella right now, and yet, when I tried to actually put them on a page, I was drawing a blank.

I sat there for a whole ten minutes, and all I had to show for it was a crude drawing of one of the rose-lanterns, and three words. I figured it would have to do.

I stood back up. Knowing my luck, someone would walk in on me, and I'd get questioned about why I was sitting on the bathroom floor at 3 a.m. I tore the page out of my brother's notebook, my eyes flitting over my futile attempt to make amends.

_I'm sorry. –Ferb._

Oh yeah… if that didn't make things better, nothing would.

I slipped back into the hall and went to my bedroom. The door was closed, and the light was off. Perfect. I slid to note under the door, hoping Isabella would see it in the morning and at least give me a chance to explain.

Feeling a little better, I made my way back down the hall. Maybe now I'd be able to fall asleep.

But things never went as I planned.

I heard a door open behind me, and I froze with my hand on my brother's doorknob. _Crap! _I didn't occur to me that Isabella could have been awake this late.

"Ferb?"

* * *

_R/R please! Reviews make me super happy!_

_Ferb and Isabella are going to talk. Maybe they can make amends. And if they do, where will they go from there? Especially now that Phineas might be catching on. Will Isabella finally concede that she likes Ferb back? Will she shut him down? Will we ever know where Perry is?_

_All questions will be answered… eventually..._

_Except the Perry one. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to use the amnesia-inator on you, and I don't want you to forget to review!_

_~Lilly-Belle_


	20. Heated

_Well the quantity of responses to last chapter were disappointing (I know you guys are out there; it would take two seconds to make my day with a review). But onward!_

_This one is for all of those shippers out there :) Progress!_

_Warning: T rating comes more into effect… Because, as the title suggests, their argument gets heated._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY:

Heated

**FERB**

"Ferb?" she whispered, and I turned toward her voice.

It was so dark that I couldn't really see Isabella, but I could make out her slim form, her silhouette a denser black inside the shadows of my doorframe.

Maybe I should just slip into Phineas' room and pretend like I didn't hear her; once inside, she definitely wouldn't follow. But I'd already turned around… so that plan was out the window. It was then that something crept up inside of me, something with which I was vastly inexperienced: panic.

This had been the point of the note, to get her to talk to me after how stupidly I'd acted. I just hadn't expected this encounter to happen _right now_. I hadn't prepared what I was going to say, how I was going to remedy our friendship.

"Ferb?" she repeated.

There she goes again, drawing me to her with that one utterance. My feet betrayed my common sense, and I slowly meandered back to my door. I said nothing, but that was alright; she had plenty to say.

"_I'm sorry?_" she hissed under her breath, my notebook paper crinkling in her grasp. "You flip out at me, ignore me for two whole days, and now slip me a note that says, _I'm sorry? _I know you pride yourself on being a man of few words, but _really_? Is this supposed to fix things? Am I supposed to magically feel better now?"

I sighed and pushed her back into my room, closing the door behind me. We were both engulfed in the black space.

"Let me explain," I said somberly. "I wasn't mad at you."

She scoffed, the sound seemingly sharpened by the darkness. "Could have fooled me. You seemed plenty mad."

"I know," I breathed. "But I swear, it wasn't directed at you."

She was silent, and I figured we would do better with a little bit of light. I moved farther into the room, making my way to my nightstand out of instinct. A second later, I flicked the switch on a small lamp.

"I was mad at myself," I continued, staring hard at my floor despite the new source of light. "At what I've gotten myself into."

When Isabella still hadn't said anything, I looked up. She was still standing by the door, her arms crossed over her chest. My mouth went dry when I noticed she was wearing just a cami and a pair of shorts, but the expectant look on her face didn't allow me to dwell; she wanted more.

How did I make this okay? Well… I suppose the best place to start was the truth. I took a deep breath.

"I was in love with Vanessa Doofenshmirtz for three years."

This clearly took her by surprise, but she still had a hard look on her face. I sat down on the edge of my bed. This would be difficult.

"It was like you with Phineas; whenever she was around, I went into my own little world, a world for just that person. I saw flowers and heard music. I felt all tingly, but in a good way.

"After she went off to college, I struggled with the fact that Vanessa and I would never work. It sucked, as all unrequited love does." Her expression softened at this, and I continued. "But I eventually got over her. I focused on school and building with my brother and being there for you.

"I especially liked that last one, because I felt like you understood. Just like me, you struggled with being _in_ _love_, and only getting _love _in return. I figured if I couldn't get my happy ending, I could support my best friend until she got hers."

She slowly crossed the room, silently sitting next to me.

"I just… I never planned to… for _this_ to develop," I spluttered, staring down at my hands and ringing them over each other nervously. I didn't know what I was trying to say or where this was going, but for once in my life, I didn't censor my words.

"I know how you feel about my brother, so I should have known what I was getting myself into, but I couldn't help it. I dove headfirst. Then the other night, you said those words. You said, 'thank goodness it wasn't Phineas,' and it really bothered with me. It reminded me that, despite the kiss and the flirting, I couldn't change how you feel about _him._

"So I had the stupid notion that I should friendzone myself. I was going to just be a friend to you no matter what, so I wouldn't force you to choose. I wouldn't force you to break my heart. I'd take myself out of the equation."

She let out a puff of air—an angry huff? An amused laugh? I wasn't sure, but I let out a sad chuckle of my own.

"Yeah, I obviously failed. You walked up to me, and I had to brush your hair behind your ear. You seemed anxious, and I had to take your hand. You bit your lip, and I had to kiss you."

This was embarrassing. Never in my life had I spoken so much. It was ironic really, like the two of us had switched roles. Here we were on my bed, as we'd been so many times before, lamenting over relationship issues. Only this time, Isabella was the silent one, and I was the one blabbering on like a fool.

Life really was funny sometimes.

"And then I blew up at you. I got so mad, because I kissed you when I planned to never act that way towards you again. I deliberately played with fire, knowing perfectly well that you're my brother's girl, and that the only outcome would be getting burned. I was so mad at myself, and I took it out on you."

I hesitated; I wasn't sure if I should continue, but Isabella still hadn't said a word. I had the feeling she wouldn't speak until she knew for sure I'd said absolutely everything, and she was never the type of girl to settle. She'd make me talk. She was the only one that had ever been able to.

"I was also mad because… because I can't stand what you do to me." Her eyebrows furrowed, and I quickly added on, "to my control. I mean, the way you looked at me in the backyard a few days ago, the way you bit your lip, the way you said my name—if not for the fact that I hated myself for what I wanted, I could have—"

I bit my tongue_._ I meant to let her know I was mad at myself because she tampered with my restraint. I most certainly did not intend to clue her into some of the more perverted thoughts in my eighteen-year-old brain.

I got up to go. I wasn't usually a flight person in that age-old question of flight-or-fight, but everyone had their limits. This extraordinarily embarrassing encounter was definitely enough to make me want to flee. Maybe all the way back to Britain.

"Ferb!" She grabbed my arm, pulling me back down on the edge of the bed. "Ferb, don't go. Not-not like that."

I still hadn't looked at her, knowing that doing so would most likely result in my death from either a) over-embarrassment, or b) having to face the apologetic rejection in her eyes.

"Ferb?" she asked quietly. "Look at me."

She kept saying my name. I couldn't help how much I loved that. Through the years, she never said it much. It was always, _hey, Phineas, what'cha doing?_

"Look at me," she repeated, and I did. I looked into her eyes, and I felt so broken. They were beautiful. She was beautiful. She was crazy sexy right now, too. But she wasn't mine.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

I tried to look away again, but she moved her hand to my face, forcing my gaze to stay locked with hers.

"Stop that," she snapped, though not harshly.

I looked at her questioningly.

"Stop looking away. Stop selling yourself short. Stop… stop _hurting_." Her voice broke. "I… I can't stand it."

I did as she commanded—or at least the part about not looking away. My traitorous eyes were all too eager to oblige; she was too beautiful for her own good. For my own good. _Self-control._

I couldn't read her expression, which was bizarre. Isabella was the definition of an open book—to anyone but my brother, of course—but the way she was looking at me now… well I'd never gotten a look like that before.

She leaned forward and her mouth found mine.

This wasn't where I expected this conversation to go; best-case scenario, I was hoping for forgiveness and the ability to be friends again. Never in a million years did I think she would kiss me.

Despite the fact that it was the last thing I wanted to do, I pulled back. I gave her a look with a very pointed question: _why?_

She made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.

"I don't know, Ferb." Her cheeks… turned a little red? "It's becoming a pattern; you start giving a speech, and suddenly I have the urge to kiss you. Maybe it's a good thing you don't talk much, or you'd be mobbed by dozens of infatuated—"

I initiated the kiss again, hoping she got my message; she was the only one who got my speeches.

Isabella wrapped her arms around my neck. This is what our kiss from a three days ago should have been like, if I hadn't been such an idiot. It was soft one second, rougher and more passionate in the next. It was amazing.

"We are all over the place," she mumbled into me.

"A bloody mess," I agreed, capturing her bottom lip between mine.

"This doesn't mean you're off the hook for these past few days." Her fingers sprawled through the back of my hair, and I shuddered against her. It took a minute before I could respond.

"I can live with that." I pushed her mouth open with mine and deepened the kiss, ending the conversation there.

She responded more enthusiastically than I ever could have dreamed, but that was dampened by our awkward position, sitting on the edge of my bed. Even turned to her side, her arms around me, it wasn't enough.

As if she read my mind—she'd been doing that a lot lately—she drew her legs onto the bed, but hesitated for a second, apparently unsure of what to do with them.

Well, I did take it upon myself to ease her troubles, right?

I hooked my hands under her knees, silently asking permission. In answer, she brushed her lips against mine again. Satisfied, I hoisted her legs forward until they rested on top of mine and shifted my attention back to her taste.

Unlike Isabella, I didn't abstain from high school relationships. Girls were intrigued by my quiet demeanor and pursued me thusly, as if a couple of dates would suddenly allow them to break through my silence. None had been successful or lasted more than a dreary rendezvous or two, but I wasn't new to making out.

Being here, though, cradling Isabella's lower back and running my hand through her sloppy ponytail, was entirely different from anything I'd experienced. My brain could only process one word: _wow_.

Was this actually happening right now? Had Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, the girl I grew up with, actually pulled me in for a kiss? Had she really begun fervently frenching me back when I took things a step further? This seemed completely out of left field.

It wasn't too long before we had to break apart purely for lack of air.

I took this opportunity to study her. Her eyes were still closed as she stole oxygen into her neglected lungs. Her chest was heaving from her breathlessness, which confused me until I looked at the clock and realized we'd been at it for twenty minutes straight. Time flies.

Her hair was coming out of her hairband in waves, messy since I'd had my way with it. Her pajamas were driving me wild, revealing far more ivory skin than usual. I always thought she was beautiful, but this sexy bed look was… _damn._

"I'm still… mad at you," she gasped, and I couldn't hold back my laugh.

"I need to make you angry more often." She finally opened her eyes to shoot me an evil look, but it was playful enough.

"Watch it, _Fletcher. _You're on thin ice." She moved to kiss me again, and it quickly got heated.

_Thin ice indeed._

It was a slippery slope, holding her partially on my lap and moving my lips against hers. One could get intoxicated with this feeling. I was there already, my mind inebriated by the smell and feel of her. I had to hold back a groan.

Isabella showed less restraint; a whimper escaped the back of her throat.

That did it. My hand fell to her hip. As I moved to the center of the bed, I pulled her with me, unwilling to let my mouth part from hers. Before I could lose my nerve, I pressed against her, and she fell back, dragging me down on top of her.

* * *

**ISABELLA**

Tell me at the beginning of my two weeks at the Flynn-Fletchers that I'd have a semi-park-date Phineas, and I would have been excited.

Tell me Jeremy was finally going to propose to Candace, and excited would have morphed into absolutely ecstatic.

Tell me that Ferb would kiss me, freak out and start a fight with me, ignore me for days, come to my room at 3 a.m. to slip an apology note under my door when he thought I was asleep, pull an _Isabella_ by ranting about relationships on his bed, and then end up with his lips locked to mine again, I would have laughed and muttered, _yeah right_.

Tell me that Ferb would end up on top of me, that we'd make out on his bed for god knows how long—there were no words to describe the implausibility. And yet…

My mind was so far gone that I wasn't completely sure what was happening or what had already occurred. At one point, the hairtie holding in my ponytail had been discarded. Somewhere along the line, my hands had started roaming his torso. I didn't recall when exactly I started arching into him either, letting his hand trail my spine under my tank top.

This was crazy! Romantically speaking, the most I'd ever done with any boy was kiss Ferb on his bed earlier this summer, then a couple days ago in the backyard. Both of those instances had been relatively tame. _This_ was something else entirely.

I was acting and feeling in ways that were incredibly new, exciting, and frightening. I had a whole other side that I never knew existed—one that grasped and pulled and nipped and rambled on internally with a longwinded polysyndeton of lewd verbs.

On an insane whim, I brought one of my legs up and hooked it around his waist, resulting in the boy above me groaning and drawing my body impossibly closer.

Part of my mind griped over the fact that, out of all nights I'd been here, _this _was the one where he'd chosen to go to bed with a shirt on. Yes, those kinds of thoughts were embarrassing, but as Ferb's fingers played across my exposed midriff, I figured dwelling on it was pointless.

You didn't get into the position Ferb and I were in by fixating on the parts that were embarrassing.

He grazed the skin on my side—another part of my body that had been painfully unexplored—and my stomach exploded with butterflies. _Ferb._

Never had I ever expected things to get this… this _heated, _but part of me still questioned just how we'd gotten here.

It wasn't mere playful banter earlier when Ferb said we were a bloody mess. Just three days ago he had sworn me off as a love interest, kissed me anyway, and started a fight. Then we had bitterly ignored each other for two days. Now here we were, all over each other in the a.m. hours. That wasn't healthy, was it?

Ferb ran his hand over my hip, and I gasped. Forget about healthy; between the rush of adrenaline, the discovery that I had a racy side, and the electric tingling in my brain, I couldn't care less.

That is, until my phone went off.

_Summer belongs to you. Summer belongs to youuuu. Summer belongs to everyone, so—_

Nothing says romance like getting the living daylights scared out of you. We both jumped and my hand flung out to silence the dreaded piece of technology, but it had already disrupted the moment.

We were silent save the dragging pants escaping our mouths. I stared up into his eyes, unable to _comprehend. _I could only grasp onto the issue that was tangible and present.

"I have… to check that," I murmured, my voice as sporadic as my heartbeat. With a groan, Ferb rolled off me, coming to rest on his side. Real life rushed back in, and I was immediately overwhelmed by the cold air on my flushed skin.

"Who the hell is calling you at… 4:32 in the morning?" he muttered, his usually smooth voice gruff after recent events.

_4:32 in the morning? _ I snatched my phone and turned on its display, ignoring the way the light stung my eyes. 4:32. Huh… well… we'd been here a while.

I shifted my focus down the screen to read the banner: **Missed Call (1): Ady**.

"It's from Adyson," I told him, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. It was hard, adjusting back to reality after so long of only being engrossed in each other.

And, _oh boy_. The past hour and a half was just settling in my brain. I glanced back at Ferb, still lying on the bed. I had… and we'd just…

_Where the hell do we go from here?_

His eyes met mine again. I could see the same question reflected there, but before I could even start pondering an answer, we were interrupted again.

_Summer belongs to you. Summer—_

I slid my finger across the screen. "Hello?"

"_Isabella_?" came Adyson's voice, tinny because her cell phone always had the worst reception. Then she burst out sobbing.

"Adyson, what's wrong?"

I braced myself for what was sure to be a long-winded sob fest; Adyson had grown to be a bit of a party girl and was highly prone to drama. As troop leader, being a venting source for my girls went beyond mere obligations of friendship; it was my duty. Literally, "venting buddy" was in my job description in the Fireside Girl's handbook.

She began, and I adjusted to sit crisscross-applesauce, slumping my head in my hand. So what if it was juvenile; I'd probably be here a while.

Sensing my annoyance, Ferb wrapped his arms around my waist. He yawned into his pillow, but his thumb traced small circles on my hip. I didn't quite know what to do with how oddly intimate the motion was, how much it screamed _boyfriend gesture._ I wasn't used to this kind of affection, but I realized it could be dangerously addicting. As is, I couldn't stop my phone-free hand from moving to run through his hair.

Something in this moment was charged. It was anxious, edgy, but not in the unpleasant way we'd experienced these past few days. This was a different tense. A good kind of tense. A tingly from my brain to my toes kind of tense. I liked this.

Adyson had just finished her rant about her work. Apparently they were downsizing and they let her go today. That was too bad, since I knew she was saving up for college, but why was she calling me now?

"Ady, that sucks, but… I'm not sure if that constitutes a phone call at 4:30 in the morning."

"_I know,_" she replied, "_and I'm sorry to wake you, but—_"

I couldn't hold in my laugh. Wake me… if only_._

Ferb's eyes were closed, but he chuckled too.

"_Something funny?_"

"No, continue," I said quickly, pausing from brushing fingers through Ferb's hair to playfully smack him. The last thing I needed was for Adyson hear him. The rumor mill would never be stopped.

"_Um…_ _Where was I?_" she drawled.

I bit back my groan, and Ferb smiled at my torment.

"You were going to tell me why you called me at this ungodly hour to tell me you got fired."

"_Because that's not all that happened_," she cried back. "_You'll never believe what happened next!_"

She then proceeded to dive into Rant 2.0, and Ferb moved his hand to his mouth to hold in his laughter. I frowned at him; the Brit was getting entertainment out of my suffering!

At the current moment, I didn't know what I was the most annoyed with, Adyson's need to drag me into her drama, Ferb's mirth, or at the fact that, in order to hold it in, his arm was no longer around me.

Since his eyes were closed, he never saw the pillow coming. I smacked him in the face with it, and his muffled laughter stopped. Swatting the fluffy sac of feathers off his head, he glared up at me impishly.

I stuck my tongue out.

"_Isabella, are you listening to me?_" Adyson demanded, and my attention snapped back to the conversation.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, not shy to yawn into the phone. "You're having trouble with your _beeping _car that you thought your _beep-_head brother had _beeping_ fixed. I've got it. But you still haven't told my why we're talking about this at this _beeping_ time in the morning."

"_Yeah, I'm getting to that,_" she exclaimed indignantly. "_Because that's not all that's happened!_"

She continued on with her tail of woes, and Ferb propped himself up on one shoulder. He gave me a pitying look, and I rolled my eyes. Thus was the life of a Fireside Girl Head Councilor.

He looked like he might laugh again, so I picked up his spare pillow threateningly. In return, he raised his eyebrow defiantly, daring me to make a move.

I swung the pillow at him, but he moved lightening-quick. Before it could make contact with his face, I'd somehow been disarmed and pulled on top of him. I blinked and stared down at him, trying to piece together what exactly had just happened, when he smirked and brushed his lips against mine.

How the hell had he pulled that off?

The damn genius had bated me! He knew I could never back down from a challenge. So easily, he'd managed to tug the pillow free with one hand, grab my waist with the other, and _bam, _I was suddenly straddling him with his mouth against mine.

And yet… I didn't really feel the need to complain.

"_You okay?_" Adyson asked into my ear, and I immediately drew back.

"What?"

"_You yelped. Are you alright?_"

"Yeah," I said weakly, closing my eyes as Ferb ran his hands under the back of my cami again.

"_What are you _doing_?_"

"Oh you know…" I swallowed in an effort to sound completely normal. "Just grabbing a glass of water. I spilled a little, so I'm cleaning it up."

I felt Ferb shake underneath me with silent laughter, amused by my excuse. I glared at him.

"_Okay. But can you believe him?_"

_Him? _I'd missed something.

"Sorry, could you repeat the last part? I was a little… _distracted_." Then, because he was purposefully trying to mess with me, I shot him a look and added, "spilt water is _really_ annoying."

Ferb slid his hands from my back to the sides of my legs, and I bit my lip.

"_I _said," Adyson cried, "_that that two-timing, selfish, son of a—_" I pulled the phone away from my ear at the sudden volume. After her shouting softened, I brought it back. "…_With _two_ girls. Can you believe that? He's such an ass! Him and those whores deserve each other, if you ask me. I hope they go and—_" I pulled back again as her voice rose.

Boy, was she angry. Not that I could blame her at her most current news. I never liked the guy she'd been dating, but to find out he'd cheated on her with two other girls at once went way beyond Jerk status.

Ferb's hands had frozen during her outburst, so my voice was even when I asked, "and you just found out?"

"_Yeah, as in _just _now. That's when I left and I called you and now I don't even know what to do!_" Her anger fizzled down into uncontrollable sobbing again, and I cringed.

Part of me couldn't help but wonder what exactly Adyson had been up to with her now-ex-boyfriend at this time of night for her to discover that in the first place, but I chose to banish that thought. Some questions were better left unanswered.

I wasn't exactly Miss-Innocent tonight, either. Granted, Adyson had most likely been up to _far_ worse, but the fact that I was currently hovering over my green-haired best friend while his hands wandered my legs was pretty out there for me.

We'd reached the part of the conversation where Ady just needed to cry, so I pulled the phone away from my ear and let her bawl. This might take some time.

Ferb seemed to realize that, too. He slowly took the hand that I'd been using to prop myself up and off him, and dragged it out from under me. Meanwhile, his other hand pressed into my back, and I was suddenly falling forward, lying completely on top of him instead of being perched above.

"Better," he whispered, and I was happy that the phone was far enough from my mouth to miss the hitch in my breath.

I began kissing him again, less shy now to immediately take it deeper. At the start of the night, this type of kissing was completely new territory for me, but I'd caught on quickly. This sort of thing was dangerously easy if you just let your instincts take over.

After three minutes, Adyson wailed, "_Oh, Isabella, what should I do?_"

I surfaced for air and breathed, "forget the jerk," into the speaker.

This set off another howling tirade about all she had done for the _beeping_, _beeping _son of a _beep_, and Ferb took it as an opportunity.

In one swift movement, he rolled over. I was now underneath him, staring up into his eyes again. His hair was all over the place, which made me wonder what kind of rat's nest mine resembled right now.

The back part of my mind registered that Adyson was waiting for an answer to a question, and I responded, "no, I don't think you should vandalize his car."

Ferb looked down at me questioningly, and I rolled my eyes. _Adyson. _He nodded, and moved closer again, but he didn't attempt to kiss me like I'd expected.

Instead, he brought his lips to my neck, and I my spine went rigid; this was a whole other level of _new territory_, but I immediately liked it.

_Oh god_, did I like it.

I closed my eyes, surrendering myself to this unknown feeling. The increasingly aggressive pressure of his lips against that exceptionally sensitive skin, coupled with the impossibly hot chill from his breath...

I moaned. Loudly.

Ferb immediately pulled back, staring at me with wide eyes. My hand clamped down over my mouth, and I could feel my face burn with a blush more intense than I'd ever achieved before. I couldn't believe I'd just done that.

"_Isabella?_"

"Just stretching," I shot back to Adyson. That appeased my friend on the phone, and she continued her lamentations.

Ferb looked massively amused, raising his eyebrow at me as if to say, _so, uh, care to explain what just happened, there?_

I shook my head vigorously, beyond mortified by the response his actions had elicited. Not that it did any good. He didn't need an answer from me to know exactly what was going on in my head and why I'd responded the way I did.

He smiled, part smug and part stunned. Then, with tantalizingly slow movements, he came back down to my neck. His lips hovered just over the surface of my skin, and my free hand automatically clamped down on the front of his shirt. He'd barely even started kissing me again before I started trembling.

So. Freaking. Embarrassing. But god, did it feel good.

He didn't make it too far in his actions, though, because that's when Adyson dropped the bomb.

"_Hey, Isabella, I'm outside. Would you let me in?_"

* * *

R/R please! In honor of the longest chapter yet? ^.^

Well now… when I said progress earlier, I meant it! Isabella finally just went with how she was feeling and they ended up here, with shmexy times.

And… this was the first make out scene I've ever written. Seriously, I'd never written a kiss before the ones in this story, and this was legit my first make out session. Did I do alright? Too much? Did you like it? Constructive criticism is welcome, but no flames please!

Thanks for reading, and see you next chapter!

Love, Lilly-Belle


	21. Interruptions

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

Interruptions

**FERB**

Listening to Adyson through the other end of the phone had been an interesting experience tonight… or this morning, I guess. Not so much because of what she'd been saying—she'd seriously had a rough day—but because of the multiple opportunities it presented to tease Isabella.

Words could not express how much I loved the way her voice quivered when she spoke to her friend because of my touch, how she leaned and arched into me.

Of course, I was careful not to take things so far as to clue Adyson in on what was happening on this side of the phone. It was exciting… this struggle to maintain our previous intimacy without getting caught.

Luckily, Adyson had always been a rather self-interested girl, and probably wouldn't think twice about any noises Isabella made in the presence of such a major personal crisis. Which was good when I swatted away the assault-pillow and pulled Isabella on top of me. Ady swallowed the spilt water excuse like… well… a glass of water.

At any given point, I feared Isabella would shut me down, would realize just what she had been doing for the past hour and a half, and just with whom she'd been doing it, and she'd run. She'd hate me forever.

I most certainly hadn't expected her to unreservedly switch back and forth between offhandedly responding to Adyson and intensely kissing me.

I rolled around, needing to feel her underneath me again. Adyson started calming down now, looking more for advice.

"No, I don't think you should vandalize his car," Isabella sighed in an exasperated voice.

I figured Isabella would probably need her mouth for talking now that Adyson was asking questions, but that wasn't a problem for me; her neck was frustratingly unexplored.

And _holy hell… _I was at once absolutely and indefinitely stunned at the kind of reaction this brought. Her eyes clamped shut and she arched into me hard, which was sexy enough, but it didn't end there. Despite the fact that she was on the phone, or that we'd been generally keeping things quiet, Isabella moaned, loud enough that I could feel her vocal cords vibrating under my lips.

I instantly pulled back, my eyes filled with shock at the fact that I… that _I _had just elicited that kind of noise from her. She looked embarrassed beyond belief, but I couldn't help but feel… a little smug, honestly.

This was physical proof of something I had begun to doubt a few days ago; the attraction between us was mutual. I could have some semblance of an effect on her like she did on me. When she shot Adyson a quick excuse—stretching, _please_—I couldn't hold the amusement from my face.

I'd never seen Isabella so flustered before. It was exhilarating.

I moved in again, teasing her by slowly breathing on her neck. Her fist clenched my shirt, and her breath grew unbelievably ragged. _Well, hot damn, Isabella was a neck girl. _I could work with this.

I'd only begun kissing under her jaw, savoring the way she started trembling underneath me, when something Adyson said froze us both cold.

"_Isabella_?" came her voice. "_Did you hear me_?"

Isabella cleared her throat, resolutely refusing to look at me. "That depends. Did you just say you were _here_?"

"_Yeah. I'm just outside your house._"

"You realize I'm not _at_ my house, right?" Isabella replied, running her finger down the center of my chest.

"_Oh yeah…_" Adyson sniffed._ "I forgot you've been at your boyfriend's house these past two weeks_."

Isabella's finger stopped, her eyes flashing to mine. It was my turn to look away, trying to ignore the reference to my younger brother. That was the last thing I needed.

"Something like that," she mumbled into the phone.

"_I guess that explains why you didn't come when I rang your doorbell, huh?_" Adyson hiccupped, her voice still patchy from all of her crying. "_Well I don't want to bother Phineas' parents. Would you_—"

"And Ferb," Isabella cut back.

"_What?_"

"You said 'bother Phineas' parents'. You forgot Ferb." I stared down at her in surprise, but she was absently watching the clock on the other side of the room.

By now, I was used to people only referring to Phineas even when we were both present. I liked to mentally joke that, in pronunciation, the "_and Ferb"_ part of "_Phineas and Ferb"_ was silent… since I was always silent. Something about Isabella snapping at Adyson for leaving me out… something about it really struck home.

"_Well, yeah, of course,_" Adyson droned, "_that's what I meant. But would you please do me the biggest favor? Pleaaaase?_"

"Oh, trust me," Isabella laughed, "I'm doing you a bigger favor right now than you realize."

"_Can we sleepover at your house?_"

"Wait, _what_?" Isabella's eyebrows furrowed, and she tapped twice on my chest, signaling me to get up. Grudgingly, I obliged, and she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"_Well…_" Adyson started guiltily, "_I kind of told my mom I was staying over at your house tonight anyway. That's when I snuck over to see what will only be referred to as _The Ex_. So I can't go home, and I really need support right now_."

"You used me as a cover so you could—"

"_Yes, I know! I know I suck_," Adyson sniffled pitifully, which I knew would win Isabella over. She'd always been tenderhearted. "_But I really need you right now, Isabella. Please."_

There was a long moment of silence on both ends of the phone before Isabella exhaled.

"Are you officially declaring a _Code Cookie Dough_?"

I tried not to laugh; was that actually a real thing in the Fireside Girl Handbook? Would they really lament their problems over a tub of raw cookie dough? That seemed way too cliché to actually be true.

"_Yes,_" Adyson said slowly, "_yes, I'm calling a _Code Cookie Dough… _please."_

"Fine," Isabella sighed. "I'll be right over."

With that, she hung up.

* * *

**ISABELLA**

I resisted the urge to drop-kick my phone out the window. I didn't want to run over to my house to listen to Adyson cry all night! No doubt she'd invite the other Fireside Girls too, then I'd have to listen to the whole rant from the beginning. I wanted to sleep! Or… not sleep for a little while longer, but _here_!

"I have to go over to my house and play impromptu-morning-party-hostess," I said to Ferb short-temperedly. I got up and stomped around the room in search of my jacket. "I love Adyson, I've known her for years, and I'm happy she trusts me enough to come to me with her problems, but I swear—"

Ferb put his hand on my shoulder, and I turned to face him. He was holding my white hoodie.

"Thanks," I muttered, slipping it on. "I'm sorry about all of this."

He laughed. "We have the worst luck."

"No joke."

"How many times have we been interrupted now?"

"I've lost count." I zipped the jacket up halfway. "Have you seen my house keys?"

Ferb crossed to the nightstand and plucked up the object in question. I smiled and went to grab them, but he held them back, as if for ransom.

"Every time we make some progress, we get interrupted. I don't—" he sighed, "Isabella, I don't want you to slip away again. We have to talk about this. Especially after… after all of _that._ We have to talk."

For our "talk", I took his face and pulled it to mine, my stomach rolling over itself with butterflies as soon as our lips met. I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach him, but after a second, his arms wrapped around my waist to help hold me up.

It didn't last long, but I hoped it was enough to ease his worries. I agreed we had a lot to talk about, but I didn't want to take too long and make Adyson suspicious.

"I know, but I do have to go. Believe me when I say I don't want to." Of their own will, my eyes drifted back down to his lips… but I shook my head to clear it. "I promise I won't slip away this time."

I plucked my keys out of his hand and turned to head out the door, when he grabbed my arm.

"Um, Isabella?"

I turned. "Yeah?"

"You, uh…" he faltered, his cheeks bright red.

"What?"

"Your… your hair."

"Oh my god," I giggled, having forgotten all about my wild mane. "How bad is it?"

In response, he only chuckled.

I snorted. "That bad, huh?"

"It… well, _I _think it's beautiful, but…"

I felt myself blush. "But…"

"Let's just say it would be a dead giveaway for our… activities tonight."

I laughed and breathed out an embarrassed, "oh." I quickly crossed the room and grabbed a spare hairband from my toiletries bag, pulling my frenzy of black locks up in a sloppy bun. I turned to Ferb, giving him my best _tada! _ stance for his approval.

"Personally, I'd be fine letting the world see my handiwork," he hummed, cupping my cheek, "but I suppose it will do."

With that, he brushed his lips against mine, gently, and just once, before letting me go.

"See you later," he breathed, and I was surprised by the sheer amount of willpower I had to use to pull away and turn around.

I grumbled under my breath—babysitting Adyson was the last thing I wanted to do, especially after all of this. My ranting mutter lasted all the way down the stairs and out the door.

I made it into the baby rays of early morning and saw my friend sitting outside my house, just like she said. She really was a mess, which appeased some of my annoyance; she genuinely needed someone right now. Everything in her life blew up today, and anybody would need a shoulder to cry on.

So in what, then, laid the source of my irritation? I wasn't mad that Adyson could be superfluously dramatic. I wasn't mad that she automatically assumed I could always drop everything to help her. I wasn't mad that she "woke me up" at 4:30 in the morning and dragged me outside at five. I wasn't even mad she used me in a lie to her mother.

I was mad because she had interrupted.

Including the bits during the phone call, Ferb and I had made out for nearly two hours, and I was mad that we had to stop. I didn't know where all of this was going, or how it would work out, but… well, as embarrassing as it was, I _definitely_ wanted more.

Of course, I'd have to put all of that aside to comfort my friend. She didn't know what she'd interrupted tonight. How could she have?

Trying my best to banish Ferb from my mind, I took a deep breath and put on my best Fireside Girl Troop Leader smile as I approached the sobbing girl.

As it was, though, I couldn't stop some of her words from the phone call replaying in my head; _I forgot you've been at your boyfriend's house these past two weeks._ Adyson had just been teasing me about Phineas, like she'd done for years, but… maybe this time she was onto something.

_Boyfriend's house._

But that was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

Right?

* * *

_R/R please!_

_So for you Ferbella shippers out there… you finally have that fluffy progress you've been waiting for!_

_However!_

_Where will the fluff go? Like I've stated from the beginning, this is a shipping war. Phineas doesn't know yet. What will happen when he finds out? What is there to even "find out" right now? Will Ferb and Isabella figure it out? Delicious drama to come after __your fluffy nap. (MWA HA HA HA HAAAAA)_

_Review please :) If you guys promise to still review this chapter, I'll probably post another chapter tonight or tomorrow. Yay for quick updates!_

_~Lilly_


	22. Names

_TADA! Surprise update. Two on back to back! Are you getting enough (see what I did there XD)? Enjoy, guys!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:

Names

**ISABELLA**

"Oh, Ady, that jerk!" Gretchen cried, rubbing the crying girl's back as she concluded retelling what she'd already told me over the phone.

I had been right in my assumption that Adyson would call some of the other Fireside Girls to hear her story. After only ten minutes of being at my house, Gretchen and Ginger showed up, the latter sporting a half-full tub of cookie dough. No doubt the other members of the troop slept through the phone call, but would show up later today at some point in time.

Admittedly, I fell asleep off and on while Adyson lamented to Gretchen and Ginger, but, unlike them, I hadn't slept at all tonight. Which of course none of them knew.

"C-can we make… m-make some hot chocolate?" Adyson stuttered, her hands rubbing at her inflamed eyes.

Ginger nudged me with her knee, and I started, my head shooting up from my hand. I'd been dozing off again.

"Yeah," I exclaimed a little too loudly. I adjusted my volume. "Yeah, help yourself. Hot chocolate sounds nice."

Adyson sniffled and nodded, leaning into Gretchen for support as the two got up and left my room, heading to the kitchen. Gretchen was unbelievably sweet and a natural caregiver; Ady clung to that kind of attention in times like these.

My mind drifted to how nice that hot chocolate sounded right now. I was debating compromising my comfortable position to follow my two friends to the kitchen, but Ginger cut that off when she sat down next to me on my bed.

"So, what's going on?" she asked, her voice curious. I had been expecting this. For the past month—especially during the two weeks I'd stayed at Phineas and Ferb's house—she'd been calling me and pressing me for the details of my love life.

I always responded the same way; I told her that nothing new had happened between Ferb and I, and that, other than the occasional flirtatious comment or whatnot, both of us were trying to maintain a level of normalcy. I told her that nothing was going on, to which she'd usually give me a suspicious stare down, but let it go.

Telling her that now would be a lie.

"A lot," I said simply, lying back on my bed.

"You look exhausted," she observed, and I smirked. Apparently, my grin was more devious than I realized, though, because she giggled. "Holy crap, what's that look for?"

In the midst of listening to Adyson's rants and wailings, I'd overlooked the fact that maybe I needed someone to vent to, too. Everything I thought I knew or felt had been scrambled. I realized how desperately I wanted—maybe even needed—someone to talk to about this. And if that someone was anyone, I'd want it to be Ginger.

"Well, you know how you're always asking me if there have been any developments with Ferb?"

"And you always say no," she leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Am I to take it that that's changed?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. This was crazy embarrassing. What would I tell her? That I was all over the place? An emotional mess? Well, that was the truth, but that didn't mean I wanted to admit that. Thus, I merely covered my face with my hands and nodded.

"Oh my god!" Ginger squealed, grabbing my forearm and shaking it. "Tell me, tell me, tell me, _tell me!_"

I giggled and shook her off. Something about her bubbliness was comforting. She was acting like such a gossip-crazed teenage girl right now, and the positivity was nice. I wasn't massive about gossip, but there was something exhilarating about relationship talk with a close girlfriend.

I sat up and, after a deep breath, filled her in on everything, starting from when Ferb cornered me in the hallway the night Candace walked in on us. As I went along, I gained momentum, and the story came easier. By the time I finally ended—admitting with reddened cheeks exactly what I'd been up to when Adyson called—Ginger's eyes were like chocolate saucers.

After a minute, she finally mumbled, "_holy shit_."

I laughed. "Yeah, no joke, right?"

"Wait, so hold up," she brushed some of her long black hair behind her ear. "You, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro_,_ kissed Ferb?" I nodded. "As in, _you_ initiated it?" I nodded again. "And then the two of you made out on his bed?" Yet again, I nodded. "For two hours?" By now, my head was in a perpetual state of bobbing up and down. "And even secretly when Ady was talking to you on the phone?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, my hands naturally flying to my face to hide the ever-growing shade of red. "Yes, just as I told you. Can we not make a big deal out of it?"

Even as I said the words, I knew they were futile.

"Not make a big deal out of it?" Ginger laughed. "Girl, you were getting _spicy_ tonight! How can you expect me _not_ to make a big deal out of it?"

"Oh god," I groaned, "please never, _never_ say 'getting spicy' ever again. Just, please."

"So are you two an item now?"

"What?!" I yelped. _An item?_ I had not been prepared for that question. Though I suppose I should have seen it coming.

"Are you and Ferb dating?" she restated uncompromisingly. I felt like a butterfly pinned for observation under the intensity of her stare.

"N-no," I stuttered, looking back down to my hands. "Of course we're not!"

Ginger was quiet for a long time—so long that I couldn't resist bringing my eyes back to her face. She was looking at me with an expression that was part quizzical and part… something else, something altogether unsatisfied.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she sighed.

"You're disappointed." It wasn't a question.

"Well, to be honest," she took a deep breath, "I kind of ship it."

"You…" I scoffed, unable to believe my ears. "You ship it?"

"Yeah. Ferb and Isabella. Ferbella. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"What?" I was certain my face resembled something like red velvet cake right now: deep red in the center with a little ivory on top.

"Well it sounds better than Phinabella," Ginger giggled. "Ferbella. It has the b's connecting. It just sounds so… natural. _Ferbella_. I like it."

"Oh sure," I scoffed, sarcasm dripping from my tone so fiercely it was almost tangible. "Let's run my romantic future on that notion, shall we? If we're basing this off of names, I should just go find a guy name Portem."

"Portem?"

"Yeah. Then we could be Portabella, and we could ride off into the sunset together eating mushrooms!"

Ginger stared at me for three seconds, her face expressionless. Then, we couldn't help it; we both erupted into a fit of laughter, doubling over on the bed and giggling until our sides hurt.

"What's so funny?" Gretchen intoned as Adyson and her came back into the room, each holding two mugs of hot chocolate, and we worked to calm down.

Then Ginger and I looked at each other, and our laughing started all over again. My comment wasn't even that funny, but there was just something about best friends, sleepless nights, and relationship turmoil that gave even the most mundane of jokes an unparalleled level of humor.

"P-portabella mushrooms," Ginger finally wheezed in answer to Gretchen's question.

With a sigh of, "I don't even want to know_,_" Gretchen placed the two extra mugs on my nightstand. Once Ginger and I were in control again, we each took one. I savored the warmth drifting through the ceramic into my chilled fingers._ Hot chocolate: _the final defense against all of life's troubles.

"But guys," Adyson moaned, taking the opportunity to shift the attention back to herself, "what am I going to do? I thought I loved him."

Of course she did. Ady's definition of love was always flighty to say the least. But I put on a smile.

"It'll be fine. We're here for you," I assured. Gretchen nodded enthusiastically, but Ginger had adopted a contemplative look.

"You know," my Japanese friend said, slowly dragging a spoon through the contents of her mug, "it's okay if you don't love the person you thought you did."

Despite the hot liquid making its way to my core, I froze. _Oh no._

"So you thought you loved him," Ginger continued, her eyes meticulous to never drift in my direction. "There's nothing wrong with discovering that isn't actually the case."

"Yeah?" Adyson sniffed, oblivious to the intent of my best friend's words, or to the fact that they weren't even directed at her.

"Yeah. And I get it," Ginger took a sip from her mug. "You thought you loved him. I mean, you _really _thought you did for a long time. Now something comes along, and you realize it may not be true, but you still _want _to love him. It's what you know, what you're comfortable with, so—"

"Well maybe Adyson can't just move on so quickly," I cut in, my voice coming out sharp despite my efforts otherwise. "Maybe Adyson isn't so flighty as to drift whichever way the wind is blowing. Just because the wind is howling doesn't mean she can just change directions! If she loves him, she loves him.

Gretchen and Ginger awkwardly looked back at me. Adyson _was_ the type of person that would float along with whatever guy gave her attention, but whatever. And maybe I was in danger of overplaying my hand, but right about now I didn't care.

"Or maybe," Ginger replied, not even bothering to look at the crying girl anymore, "Adyson is just scared. Maybe she's not sure what all of us will think of her after all of this. Maybe she's scared she won't have support, but that's not true. We'll support Ady no matter what."

"Thanks, guys," Adyson whimpered, but I wasn't done yet.

"Fine, she has support. That doesn't mean she'll just go along with the wind because it feels good."

"But that's the point!" Ginger laughed like I'd just proven her point. "She'll go along with the wind _because it feels good._ Because she clearly likes the wind. She loves how it feels when it blows through her hair, how it sounds whooshing into her ears."

"That's not true," I snapped back.

"Oh yes it is. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see what's clearly written on y—_Adyson's_ face, what's in her voice. She's crazy about the wind. She's just too freaking stubborn to see it."

"I can see that I like the wind," Adyson muttered, but I shushed her, my face heating up at Ginger's insinuations.

"She's not too stubborn. Just because the wind is there doesn't make it right."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really! The wind is frustrating, and terrifying, and risky. It's ridiculous, and annoying, and wonderful, and infuriating, and… and… and impossible! It's just impossible!"

I'd barely managed to splutter that out before the looks on my friends' faces brought my rambling to a halt. Gretchen and Adyson looked confused, not that I could blame them. Ginger had adopted a smug smile that made me look down at my hands in defeat.

"Sometimes you have to let go of some of your stubborn control issues and go where the wind takes you," Ginger said calmly. Another minute of silence.

"If there's one thing you taught us, Chief," Gretchen began quietly, speaking for the first time since the start of my outburst, "it's that nothing is impossible for a member of our troop."

Thankfully, Gretchen looked right past my momentary hysteria, tactful enough not to pry unless I offered up information.

"I feel better after that," Adyson added on, taking a big gulp of her hot chocolate. "I get what you guys are saying; I have to look past this breakup and let my emotions be as free as the wind."

"Exactly," Ginger chuckled into her cup. Her eyes drifted back to my face, the satisfied look still glimmering in her dark irises. "You've got to be happy, Adyson. And you know exactly what makes you happy, what challenges you, what you want more of."

"Does she?" I whispered, staring intently at the swirl of almost-melted marshmallows floating on the surface of my hot chocolate.

"I think I do," Adyson hiccupped, finishing off the contents of her mug. "But how do I know for sure?"

"Well," Ginger sighed, relaxing into the throng of pillows that adorned my bed. Her eyes fluttered up, staring straight into mine. "You just need to stop focusing on _should. _No more _should be_ this or _should be _that. No more impossible, either. You keep focusing on that, and you'll miss what's been there the whole time."

She was right.

She was right about me being scared, about how I couldn't focus on all of these _should's_. She was right when she said I was crazy about the wind, and she was right that I had to do what made me happy. And she was right about names, too.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Tee hee! Ginger is a Fangirl! She ships! (*one of us, one of us*). I had fun with that._

_Now things are going so well! They're finally on the right track!_

_… … … that means things will have to be shaken up pretty soon, now won't they? Because nothing can ever be simple ^.^ Not next chapter, but I have a pretty darn exciting event planned._

_Lilly-Belle is out, peace!_


	23. Timing

_Okay… everyone freaked out over my "shipping war" message, so let me clarify. I won't be flip flopping or anything. I promise I've thought this out, and am not just having Isabella go from one boy to another frivolously. I'm working to establish the events to be within how I've set up their characters, and I think you guys will like it. By shipping war, I'm expressing the fact that I honestly love and support both shippings, and intend to provide a basis that may spur the same emotions in you guys. Thus far, it has been Ferbella, and no, I won't just dump the table and suddenly make it Phinabella, but there will be sweet Phinabella moments. And yes, there will be heartbreak, but it simply wouldn't be realistic if there was an ending with absolutely no pain. Just remember, it's all part of the plan!_

_Whew… sorry about the rant. I just wanted to set a few things straight. On a happier note, TO MY READERS/REVIEWERS: I LOVE YOU._

_Your reviews are so wonderful, guys, and I'm happy you're enjoying the story. Have fun with this new chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:

Timing

**FERB**

Isabella said she wouldn't slip away, not this time, but her leaving to be with Adyson marked the start of a long run of not seeing her.

The first day was to be expected; in light of Adyson's personal crisis, the Fireside Girls were having a day to themselves. That was fine. Completely ordinary. She'd been spending a lot of time with Phineas and I, and her friends probably missed her.

The days of absence after that were not expected. As my luck would have it, Isabella's mum chose the afternoon of the girl's day to come home. And she brought a surprise: Isabella's cousin Daniela, and her new baby. Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro eagerly made plans for their family to spend the following four days together.

Thus was born my four days of over-analyzing hell.

It was a good thing my family was accustomed to zero verbal interaction, because I'm sure that any words from me would have come out quite cross.

In life, timing was everything. My realization of my feelings for my neighbor across the way, her moving in with us, my sister walking in on our conversation, Candace and Jeremy's engagement, our fight and subsequent make up make out session, and now Isabella's sudden deficiency in my life…

It was all in the timing, and Isabella and I were the worst with it. Interruptions and complications were rampant. It was maddening.

Of course, I still tried to make the most of every day of summer. Phineas and I made inventions, which was fun. Buford and Baljeet came over two of the four days. The bully was quick to jump on the "op_bro_tunity" for guy time, and I couldn't protest.

I rather enjoyed myself, but as I stated, I also couldn't refrain from overthinking everything. As much as I loved it, Isabella's kiss response to my demand that we talked was not quite enough. We had to actually sit down and figure things out without her running off or us being barged in on.

The fifth Isabella-free day rolled around, and I knew something was wrong the second I woke up. Maybe that was because I had just _woken up_, as in there was no buzzing drone of my alarm clock or my brother—with enthusiasm unbecoming for early morning—beckoning me to start the day. I'd woken up completely on my own.

With a groan, I rolled to on my side and looked at my clock. _9:44_? No wonder I was confused; Phineas usually demanded we get up around seven a.m. or, on rare occasions, eight. I got up and examined the clock, and saw that someone had turned off the alarm.

I checked in Phineas' room, but my brother was nowhere to be found. I went downstairs and checked the backyard. Empty. How curious.

It wasn't a big deal, of course. I could handle some alone time. In fact, after so long of constantly doing _something_, it was quite nice. I always had an affinity for Quiet; we were friends. But it still was peculiar.

I got myself a bowl of cereal and had just sat down at the table when Mum strolled into the kitchen. In one hand was a _#1 Mom _mug of coffee, and in the other was a newspaper.

"Good morning, Ferb," she said cheerily, spreading the paper out on the counter. "Did you enjoy sleeping in?"

I nodded, but didn't bother to hide my confusion.

"Your brother thought it would be nice to give you a day without an alarm clock." She took a sip of her coffee. "He knows you only get up so early because he likes it. He said he was 'giving you the day off.' Isn't that sweet?"

I tilted my head to the side, silently asking for further explanation. She let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ferb, sweetie, I'm used to Phineas doing all of your talking for you. You know I can't understand every face and gesture. Speak up."

I made a defiant, if not somewhat childish, face, but she remained stern. Never try to battle wills against my mum. You will lose every time.

"Why?" I voiced.

"See, Ferb? Was that so hard?" Mum smiled good-naturedly, and I scowled at her. She ignored it. "Phineas said he had plans, so he didn't want you to get up unnecessarily."

Out of habit, I started gesticulating, but Mum gave me a reproachful look.

"So, Phineas isn't here?" I mumbled.

"He left around an hour ago. Said something about owing Isabella an ice cream."

_Oh_. Her words felt like a punch in the gut.

So Phineas had jumped on an opportunity to hang out with Isabella, buying her ice cream. Just the two of them. Any girl other than our neighbor, and I would have been proud of my little brother, but this…

It was terribly ironic; _I _was the one that had held her, had kissed her, and somehow my romantically challenged little brother had had more dates with Isabella. I developed a distaste for irony.

I noticed Mum was watching me closely over her mug of coffee, and I cleared my throat.

"That's nice," I forced out.

"Looks like your little brother may finally be coming around, huh?"

"Looks like."

"Isabella will be thrilled, don't you think?" There was something I didn't quite understand in her voice. It sounded… calculated. That was something uncommon for my mum, even the rare times when we were in trouble. I couldn't tell where this was going.

"Yeah," I responded carefully.

"Do you think he'll ask her out?"

"Who knows?" I focused on keeping my face smooth, staring at my bowl of cereal.

"You do think she'd say yes, right?"

"What?"

My eyes darted up to her. She hadn't moved from her place at the counter, but I was surprised to see how intently she was looking at me.

"Do you think Isabella would say yes if Phineas asked her out?" she repeated unswervingly.

Mum knew about Isabella's long-standing crush on my brother; why would she even ask me that? I gulped.

"You know she's liked him forever."

"That's not actually an answer," she sang.

"It's a perfectly fine answer."

"So, you don't think she'd have any reason to say no to him, then?" She raised her eyebrow at me, and the words _oh shit_ trickled down my spine.

"Why are you asking me all of these questions?"

"Just curious, sweetheart," Mum laughed. She held her hands up in a placating gesture, but her voice still hummed with mischief. "No one knows Isabella better than _you_, right?"

Okay, what was _that_ supposed to mean? Then I remembered I paused midway through lifting a spoonful of milk and sugar to my mouth, and finally took the bite. I chewed slowly, my mind flitting through a dozen possible responses. Regrettably, I picked what was perhaps the worst.

"Phineas knows Isabella just as well as I do."

Mum was silent save for the occasional sound of her sipping coffee or turning a page of her newspaper. I felt awkward. I hoped my cheeks weren't red, but I was sure they were. I wasn't as oblivious as my little brother; the subtle accusations in my mum's voice didn't fall on deaf ears.

The question was, what did she know?

A full minute passed before she sighed and replied, "If you say so."

"I do. I do say so," I quipped back, which was stupid. It would have been better not to reply at all.

Mum crossed the room and put her hand on mine. "And what you say is important," she said pointedly, looking me straight in the eye. "_Your say_ is important. Just remember that, okay?"

I nodded, too muddled to say anything. With that, she kissed my forehead and left me to my empty bowl.

* * *

**PHINEAS**

I was happy to make good on my promise to buy Isabella ice cream, especially after I hadn't seen her in so long. She was a little confused when we didn't just drive to the ice cream parlor, but the day was so nice, it would have been a crime to miss out on being outside.

The entire way, we went back and forth. I talked about the inventions she'd missed, and Isabella gushed about her new second cousin, Camilla, lamenting over their separation yesterday evening when Daniela went back home to the Eastern Tri-State Area.

"Her face was still scrunched up, like a little bulldog, but she was so cute," she exclaimed as we made it in the door of the shop.

I always liked this old ice cream parlor. It was so quaint, and had an old-fashioned 50's feel, with white-tile floors and light pink walls.

"You grab a table," I directed, stepping into the line.

"Okay. I want—"

"One mint chocolate chip sundae coming right up," I cut her off, and she smiled, turning on her heel in hunt for a table. I ordered a cookies-and-cream waffle cone for myself—truly a classic—and, once the treats were obtained, I joined her at the spot she'd found.

"Bon appetit," I admonished, and she smiled.

"Thanks, Phineas." She scooped up a big bite, and I followed her example. She continued telling me a funny story about her cousin at the museum, and I listened contentedly.

However, I couldn't shake a little bug in the back of my mind. Ever since the night of the engagement, I tried to see what Candace had seen. Really, I did, but… I just couldn't. The following two days after I got Candace's text and before Isabella went back to her house, I considered my best friend and brother more carefully, but I found nothing odd, nothing that could be seen as flirtatious.

If anything, I'd say they had almost seemed cold.

I tried to get my sister to elaborate on what she'd been implying, but since she'd officially become the future Mrs. Johnson, she simply hadn't been around.

"Phineas?" Isabella queried, her head tilting to the side. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked you where Ferb was." The forever-analytical part of my brain noted the tone of her voice was completely casual. Had I expected anything else when she brought up my brother?

"Right," I laughed. "But hey, I promised _you_ ice cream, not Ferb. If I go around buying ice cream for everyone, I'd go broke."

Isabella nodded slowly.

"Did he not want to come?" She scooped up a big glop of green goop and put it in her mouth.

"No, I actually just decided to let him sleep in. He's been quieter than usual this week, which is saying something for Ferb," I chuckled. "I think a little sleep will do him some good."

"Really?" she giggled. "What does 'being quieter' even look like for Ferb?"

Huh. Part of me wished Candace had never said anything, because now I couldn't stop wondering if Isabella was being a little too interested in Ferb right now. She wasn't, right?

"Well, you know, his usual silence seeps out from the mere absence of his voice to create this dense aura of _quiet_."

"Dense aura of quiet?" she snorted into her sundae. "Sounds about right."

Then something occurred to me; why could I not simply ask Isabella about her and Ferb?

I was not the type of person that could handle not knowing something; uncertainty was unbefitting for my curious mind. I could just ask her, couldn't I? I mean, sure, it'd be strange, but… wasn't that better than not knowing? The awkward factor of asking my best friend if something was going on between her and my brother was better than trying to piece it together myself, right?

"Hey, Isabella, can I ask you something?"

"You just did," she said sarcastically, and I held back my laugh.

"Using my own line against me, huh?" I brandished my cone at her. "Touché, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro. Touché."

"Now you know how it feels." She rolled her eyes. "But seriously, you know you can ask me anything."

"Of course," I agreed, eyeing a particularly delicious looking chunk of cookie in my ice cream. "Because we're best friends, and we can talk about stuff." I slowly took a bite, taking my time before I swallowed. "Even… even if it's awkward, right?"

Her spoon dipped back down into her bowl, where it stayed. Her expression was suddenly a mixture of puzzlement, curiosity, and gravity. Her voice was softer when she replied.

"Yeah, that's, uh… that's what best friends do, Phin. Anything."

I nodded, deliberating how to phrase my next question. I didn't want it to come across as an accusation or something that was bothering me. Definitely not the latter, because her answer wasn't even a big deal. I was just curious. I just wanted to know. That's all.

"Well…" I hesitated. On second thought, maybe this was something I should actually ask Ferb. He was my brother, after all. But I'd already brought it up with Isabella. She'd expect me to follow through. Oh boy, what would I say?

"Hey Isabella, hey Pointy," came a gruff voice behind me. "What'cha doing?"

"Ayee, are you mad?" came a secondary voice, higher and panicked. "You know what happened the last time you used her line!"

_Saved by the bell… or bully. _I laughed and turned around to see Buford and Baljeet, holding a banana split and vanilla waffle cone respectively.

"Watch it, Byoof," Isabella said with an evil smile. Her eyes gleamed with playful malice, and Buford quickly backtracked.

"Hey, Isabella, you—you know I don't mean anything by it," he stuttered. "It's just so catchy. It slipped out!"

Isabella held her hand up to silence the bully. "I'm feeling generous today," she said with an unnerving calmness. "I'll let it slide."

Baljeet and I couldn't hold back our snickers, resulting in a baleful look from Buford. He pulled out the chair next to me and huffily sat down, plunging a spoon into the banana in his bowl.

"Hey, Buford, want to sit down?" I muttered sarcastically.

"Obviously," the bully replied. "That's why I did."

Baljeet shuffled awkwardly to the chair next to Isabella, but he didn't sit. His eyes darted nervously from her face to mine.

"Is this, uh… is this bad timing?" he asked nervously.

"Why would it be bad timing?" I took a bite of my cone, watching him.

"Well," Baljeet started slowly. He was antsy. More so than usual, that is. He kept looking at Buford like maybe the two of them shouldn't be here. "We are not… interrupting anything, are we?"

Interrupting? Well, I had been about to open my mouth and ask Isabella a really stupid and embarrassing question. I was okay with them interrupting right now. I met my neighbor's eyes as she waited for my reply, and I shrugged.

"No," Isabella chuckled dryly. "You can sit down, 'Jeet."

Our Indian friend stared at the girl across from me like he was surprised—dumbstruck, even—by her response, but he quickly took a seat.

"Man, it's just good to see things are back to normal," Buford sighed, taking a bite so big I wondered how he didn't get sick.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"I mean… _this_," Buford mumbled, his mouth still full of ice cream. He motioned his with his spoon back and forth between Isabella and I. "You two. Things got a little weird there for a while, but at least they're back to normal now, am I right?"

Isabella and Baljeet both froze mid-bite, their mouths gaping.

"My mom says I don't handle change well," the bully continued, prepping another monstrous bite. "The weirdness factor at your guys' house was giving me the willies. We couldn't figure out what the hell was going on, right, Baljeet?"

"Do not drag me into this!" the Indian yelped.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling my eyebrows furrow.

"I forgot who I was talking to," Buford muttered.

"To whom you were talking," Baljeet corrected under his breath, but I ignored him, focusing on Buford's comment instead.

"What does that—"

Buford waved his hand dismissively. "You'll figure out when you're older."

When I was _older_? Was Buford calling me naive?

I got this weird feeling inside of me, looking at all three of my friends. I couldn't shake the notion that there was something going on here… something I didn't understand. Every comment brought with it a sense of uneasiness, of unanswered questions.

Before I could ask anything to clarify, though, mint chocolate chip ice cream was suddenly splattered all over the bully's face.

I gawked for half a second before looking back at Isabella, her hands still holding her spoon like a catapult.

"That was mean," was all she said.

With slow movements, Buford grabbed a napkin and started wiping the ice cream off his face. Though the bully never picked on Isabella, he'd always had a short fuse. I met Baljeet's eyes; he, too, looked fearful of what might happen next, but Buford only laughed.

"Okay, Girlie, I can respect that."

"You deserved it," she replied, her gaze drifting to intently look out the window.

Unease. That's what I felt right now. It felt like I was in the middle of some massive inside joke, one that could possibly be at my expense.

I never felt uncomfortable around people, let alone my friends. The fact that I felt on edge right now made me feel even more agitated, because I wasn't the type of person to be on edge in the first place. I didn't like this.

"I feel like I'm missing something," I stated, staring at each of my friend's faces in turn. They stared right back.

"What?" Baljeet finally squeaked.

I finished the last bit of my ice cream and folded my hands in front of me. "I feel like I'm missing something," I repeated, unwavering. "What do you guys know that I don't?"

I looked to Buford, who looked to Baljeet. Baljeet looked to Isabella, who just looked dazed.

"Guys?" Buford and Baljeet were both staring at Isabella now, completely silent. I followed their example, my eyes resting on the girl in front of me.

If I weren't mistaken, her cheeks were rosy. She'd always turned pink easily, at the slightest embarrassment. Did that mean whatever I didn't know was embarrassing?

"Isabella?" I prompted again. "What don't I know?"

* * *

_R/R, please! Yay for reviews!_

_I'm loving the Linda feels. Looks like she's onto something! Tee hee!_

_Sorry about the cliffhanger. Well… not really. You guys have fun with that._

_I love you, darlings, for taking the time to read my prattle! Take care, now!_

_~Lilly-Belle_


	24. Breakdown

_Disclaimer:I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:

Breakdown

**ISABELLA**

Buford was going to die. It was that simple. I was going to kill him, and then spend the rest of my embarrassed days in prison for murder.

Phineas had asked me a question, and I couldn't say a word. My tongue cowered dryly behind my sealed lips, and I imagined I could feel my throat slowly closing.

His distraught look… that was the worst part, crashing into my gut and tearing it into ribbons. I never wanted to be the reason for another person to be upset, let alone one of my boys. He was actually _troubled_ by Buford's comments, desperate to not be left out of the loop. It was heartbreaking.

"Isabella?" Phineas leaned forward, his face still pinched with confusion and concern.

I didn't speak; I couldn't. I was too busy watching my life unravel in slow motion. Was this, _this_, how he would find out? Did years of keeping my secret and hoping he would notice my feelings on his own really come down to _right now_?

"Isabella?" Phineas aksed, waving his hand in front of my face. "Did you hear me?"

I nodded, but still said nothing. _He looks so perturbed_. _Phineas is never supposed to look perturbed_. _And it's my fault. I am the reason for his unease._ My mind wouldn't shut up long enough for words to be formed.

_What don't I know?_ The implications behind that question… the realizations there… the complications…

My brain was broken.

Thankfully, the other boys at the table came to their senses.

"Buford was just talking about Isabella staying with you guys," Baljeet invented wildly. "It was weird, so it is good to see things are back to normal."

"Right," Buford agreed.

Phineas stared down at his hands, and I wondered if he suspected the boys were lying. After two seconds, though, he shrugged it off and looked back up to me.

"Now it's weird not having you there," he admitted, his eyes oddly piercing. "I got used to having you around 24/7."

"Bet you did," Buford muttered out of habit, and I kicked him in his shin. Hard. Not that it did any good.

Phineas' eyebrows crinkled again, which was alarming. For years now, Buford had made thousands of these kinds of comments—most of which were exponentially more suggestive than these.

So why was today different? When did Phineas suddenly become less oblivious?

Then, because the universe had apparently taken it upon itself to be as disruptive as absolutely possible in the most thoughtful or intense parts of my life, all of our phones went off. Four buzzes, at the same time.

It was almost humorous, how mechanically we all started reaching for our phones. Phineas was the first to succeed.

"It's from Adyson," he stated, staring down at his screen.

_Oh god, more complications,_ I thought, snatching my phone from my purse. I quickly scanned the text, fearful of what was going on with her now.

**Hey, guyyys! You're all invited to my Summer Bash! PARTY TIME! Just our friend group and a little fun! Tonight! Be there or be… a bad friend, because I need a party right now… … … Jk. But seriously, see you soon!**

"Paaaaaaaaar-tay!" Buford bellowed, and everyone else in the ice cream parlor stared. Once they saw it was Buford, though, they continued on indifferently; we were all used to his antics.

Then our phones went off again.

**Derp a derp! I'm a spaz. My house. Starts at six and goes till we drop! I've already got confirmations, soooooo if you don't come, you're a weirdo!**

I counted to ten, and sure enough, our phones buzzed again.

**Oh! And pizza! Loooooooots of pizza! Want to come now? Thought so! See you tonight! Kisses, Adyson.**

I rolled my eyes. Adyson was just so… Adyson.

"I actually was going to do some reading tonight, so—"

"Oh no, nerd," Buford cut Baljeet off, jabbing a stubby finger at him. "We're going to that party even if I have to drag you there by your underpants."

"Thanks for that mental image," Phineas laughed, standing up. "I'll be right back."

He took off to the bathroom, and as soon as he was out of earshot, my frantic mind clasped on to the only output I had for my anxiety; I turned my deadliest glare onto Buford.

It was delightful watching all of the color drain from his face.

"L-listen, Isabella" he stuttered, "I didn't—I-I swear, I didn't—"

"You ass," I hissed. The venom in my voice was almost tangible enough to drip from my mouth and eat through the table. "You goddamn ass. You fu—"

"Whoa," Baljeet shrieked. "PG-13, please!"

I turned my scowl to him, and he got my message; unless he wanted the full force of my fury, he should lay low.

"If it weren't for the mortal terror, I'd be so proud of your foul language right now," Buford muttered.

_Snap. _My spoon was now in two pieces.

"B-but I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry."

"You have to admit it was weird," Baljeet noted in the bully's defense. "You know he has said far worse on a daily basis. How could he have known that Phineas would magically catch on to something today?"

His words hung in the air, slowly drifting into our ears to be processed. My anger drained out of me, resonating into a building sense of alarm. _Phineas would magically catch on to something today._

"You don't actually think that Dinner Bell could be… you know, figuring things out, do you?"

_Could he be?_

"I think that is true." Baljeet put a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to meet his smile. "Obviously something is different. Maybe he is starting to realize his feelings. This is great!"

_Was it?_

My head was spinning with that idea… that Phineas may finally be coming around. I had to admit there'd been an increase in his attention, his compliments, and now, after how he reacted to Buford's comments, his awareness.

But why did this have to happen now, of all times? When I was more confused than ever? When there was Ferb, who was so wonderful and so ready and so _there_?

But, Phineas! _Phineas…_ he was all I'd ever wanted.

What had I gotten myself into? _What had I gotten myself into?_ It was a car crash on the side of the road, it was a tragedy you had to watch despite knowing its ending, it was a fire consuming a building—hot, beautiful, and terribly destructive.

I did not know how to handle this.

"Isabella?" Buford asked for what I realized was the fourth time.

I did not know how to handle this!

"Are you okay?"

I stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"Isabella," Baljeet said slowly, his voice suddenly cool and deliberate. "What are you not telling us?"

That pushed me over the edge.

Panic swelled up inside of me, weaving the ribbon that was my gut through my ribcage and tying a knot around my heart. I couldn't handle this! I couldn't handle the embarrassment, the idea that Phineas was catching on, that he looked so upset when he didn't understand, that Baljeet and Buford were suspicious now, that Phineas would be back any second and wonder what was wrong with me too, that_ there was no happy ending to this._

I shoved the remains of my sundae over to Buford and stood up.

"Of course I'm alright." Then, in one breath, I rushed, "But I just remembered I needed to help my mom with something, and I promised I'd be there by now, so I really have to go, and I'm really sorry, but you'll have to tell Phineas, but feel free to keep hanging out, and please tell him not to worry, but that my mom needed me, so I'm leaving."

Panic was a cruel, cruel thing to the tongue.

"What?" Both boys looked like they'd been run over by a verbal freight train, but I grabbed my purse.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. See you later!" I was out the door before another word could be said.

I was gone—my mind unable to provide direction, but my feet moving just the same. I ran. I was wearing a skirt, but I ran. I didn't know where I was going, but I still ran.

And I ran and I ran and I ran.

And, because I had my two geniuses on the brain, the only thing I could think of was Galileo, of his relevance to my life right now, of the importance of timing, and of that one saying of his… _nevertheless, it moves._

_How can this possibly end well?_

From there, my composure only unraveled.

* * *

**FERB**

I was surprised to see Adyson's text. She'd been pretty mopey these past few days about her break up, but this invite suggested she was past that. Obviously she'd moved on to the whole, _I'm so over *insert name here* that I'm going to party like crazy!_ stage of post-relationship trauma.

It should make for a fun night, though. It was at least a guarantee that I'd get to see Isabella, since I would most likely end up chauffeuring my brother and her. I was dying to spend time with her… more so than I wanted to admit.

I rushed down the hall, intending to hunt Mum down upstairs and tell her about Adyson's party, but I nearly ran into her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Whoa, sweetie, slow down," she laughed, tightening her grip on the load of laundry in her hands. "Where's the fire?"

I smiled apologetically and shrugged, holding my phone up to show her the invite.

"Oh, that sounds like fun. Parties aren't usually up Phineas' alley, though."

I shrugged again.

"If Phineas doesn't go, does that mean you'd just take Isabella?" She smiled pleasantly, but there was something else to her words.

_This strangeness again? _I cleared my throat.

"I'm sure Phineas will come. It's just our usual friend group."

Mum was quiet, staring me down in a way that only mothers could manage. I had a feeling the disapproval in her brow wasn't at all related to the party.

"So was I wrong, then?" she asked, her voice incongruously wily.

"What?"

"To assume you'd made progress?"

I tilted my head at her.

"Between the two of you."

Apprehension crept its way up my throat, but I replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mum sighed.

"And here I thought you'd already realized your feelings. Is that _not_ what's been happening these past two months?"

I choked on air. Only three words could describe my feelings right now: _horrified _and _oh shit._

"H-how—?" I spluttered.

"Ferb, sweetie," she chuckled. "I may not have given birth to you, but I'm still your mom. And rule number one about parenting: moms know everything."

I raised my eyebrow at her.

"_Everything,_" she emphasized.

"But—"

"I've known how you felt far longer than you have, apparently," she tittered. Then, almost to herself, she mumbled, "I wonder what I did to raise such oblivious sons."

I could do nothing but continue to stare. Mum always said there was a special place in hell for those who murder and those who lie to their mothers… but _denial_ was a different story altogether, right?

"I… I still don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay then. Let me fill you in."

_Oh no._ I'd made a grave mistake. I should have known better with my mum. She never was shy, and always laid things out with a quick-fire bluntness. I was going to hell, and she knew it.

"You like Isabella. You have for a long time, but you haven't realized it until late. And now my baby is struggling because he knows—just like everyone else in Danville except my _other_ baby—that Isabella has always been crazy about _him_."

"Oh, please stop," I groaned, my head slumping into my hand. She'd proven her point; I was busted. So very, very busted.

"But you said you didn't know what I was talking about," she said good-humoredly. She was _evil. _"I'm just fixing that problem." _Evil._ "Then Isabella moves in with us—I do suppose that complication was my fault, but at the time I didn't realize how much things had progressed—and during these past couple of weeks, what do I notice?"

It was a rhetorical question; in response, I rolled my eyes.

"That's right, I notice a teenager who apparently hasn't learned his lesson about sassing his mother ten seconds ago, and thinks it's okay to roll his eyes at me!"

I scoffed, and she continued.

"But I digress. What do I notice? You're antsy. You're nervous. You're secretive. You're frustrated. _And_," she stressed, and I tried not to cringe, "you're a lot happier, too."

My head snapped up and I met her eyes. Her teasing smile had softened into the kind, genuine one I loved. The one that felt like a hug every time it flashed across her face.

"What are you saying?" I tried to ask, but it barely came out.

Mum sighed. "Sweetheart—"

The sound of keys in the front door stopped her short, and we both looked toward the entryway. My heart may have stopped beating right then and there.

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro walked in.

The spare key we'd given her years ago was clutched in her hand, and as soon as she was in the door, she slumped over, completely out of breath.

"I've got laundry to do," my mum sang, and, to my absolute horror, she winked at me before disappearing up the stairs. This… that… uh… … … I would have to deal with the Mum Situation later.

I rushed to the entryway.

"Isabella? Are you okay?"

She held her finger up as if to say _one minute_, while she caught her breath.

It was confusing. She definitely wasn't in running clothes. Far from it. She was wearing a white pleated skirt and that red top I loved. Her hands clung to her knees as she panted, but there was something altogether _wrong_ about all of this.

Although not excessively athletic, Isabella wasn't out of shape. And her breathing wasn't the mere huffs of air one would take after becoming winded, but sporadic gasps that quivered and jumped from her throat. No 'just a minute' gesture would atone for what bothered her.

She shook her head wildly, beyond words. Her eyes were wide, her shoulders shaking, and I realized that she was bordering on hysteria.

"Love, what's wrong?"

My hands found her upper arms, and she instantly melted into me. She was trembling so fiercely I pulled her into the living room, falling with her onto the couch.

I held her for some time, not a word spoken on either end, while she tried to pull herself together. Finally, she drew back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her hands retracting from my torso to run through her hair. "I'm sorry, I'm just a wreck."

"What happened? Did Phineas—"

"No," she quickly assured. "No."

I was half pleased and half disappointed with this answer, confirming my notion that I was indeed a terrible person.

She stuttered over the events at the ice cream parlor—about how Phineas had noticed Buford's remarks, caught on to the fact that maybe he was missing something, and then Buford and Baljeet's worried questions while Phineas was gone.

Which only served to confuse me further.

"I don't understand why you're so upset."

"Because Phineas is coming around, and people are getting suspicious, and I don't know what to do!"

"Okay… but why are you so freaked out by that?"

"Because!" she snapped, hiding her face in her hands. I grabbed her wrist and forced them away.

"Because, why?"

She breathed heavily, in and out. She squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering, "Because I'm not built for this."

"Built for what?" I asked as gently as possible.

"For…" She seemed like she was searching for the answer herself. She was perfectly aware of how irrational her panic was right now, and yet it was still there. I didn't think she'd discovered the source of it any more than I had. "Oh I don't know!"

I took her hand, running my thumb across each knuckle.

"I think… I think I'm scared," she finally said, her voice breaking and rising all at once. "I'm scared, and stressed, and I can't handle this. I don't know how to handle this, what to do. I-I can't—"

Her voice quivered to a stop. She tried to hide her face again, but I wouldn't let her.

"What are you scared of?"

She started breathing more quickly, shaking her head.

"Isabella, talk to me."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine," I almost laughed, disbelieving that she would even try to tell me otherwise.

"Yes I am."

"Isabella—"

"It's fine."

"_Tell me._"

Although my voice wasn't harsh, she flinched.

"I… I'm _scared_…"

Her breaths quickened, alarmingly so.

"Of _what?"_

"Of… of not having any control," she admitted to her feet, the look of dread and self-loathing in her eyes hard to witness. She pulled her arms from my grasp and wrapped them around her chest, like the confession of a weakness would suddenly tear her apart.

And I realized it very well could. Just that one utterance, and something in my girl broke.

"Control, Ferb!" she rasped, the remnants of her composure dying on the spot. "I'm always in control. I'm a control freak. Control is my friend! And we understand each other, and I need it, because without it life is unstable and unpredictable and _uncontrollable!"_ Her hands slipped up to crazily run through her hair. "And I don't have it and I'm far from having it, and I can't handle that, and that only hurts people, and I can't do anything, and… and…"

Two tears finally tipped over the ridge of her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. That was it—only one drop for each eye—but tears wouldn't have worried me. Tears were normal for her. This… this was scarier.

She was hyperventilating.

"Isabella…" I soothed, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to look at me. "Love, you have to breathe."

She tried to pull away, but I held her fast.

"Breathe," I demanded again.

She nodded.

"I can't—I can't—I d-don't—" Rattled gasps racked her body, much too quick. "I-I don't—don't know… how to make this okay. How t-to make everyone happy. I need to make everyone happy, but I don't… I don't…"

"Isabella," I leaned forward and pressed my lips against her forehead. "Always fretting over other people's problems. It's not your job to make everyone else happy. You can't live like that. You've got to focus on what makes _you_ happy."

"I'm h-happy when you guys are happy, and… and I couldn't s-stand it," she sniffled, shaking her head, "couldn't stand it if either of you were upset, but I-I feel like I have no control over that! No-no matter what I do, somebody might get—get hurt!"

She finally broke down completely, falling forward and burying her face in my chest.

"I'm so confused," she gasped, her hand clutching my shirt. "I-I can't stand feeling like I don't have control. Over myself, over how—how I impact everyone else… I just—I-I just—"

She was crying now, her tears seeping into my shirt. After I got over my initial shock at her outburst and sudden proximity, I wrapped one arm around her, my other hand stroking the length of her hair. She shuddered with hushed sobs, pulling her legs onto the couch and curling into me.

"You absolutely have control," I whispered into her hair, tightening my embrace as she snuggled even closer. "And you don't know what's going on with Phineas. Who knows what's going through his head? You just need to focus on what you want."

She was silent, shaking against me, and I just held her.

This whole thing was rather unexpected. At first I thought she was massively blowing this out of proportion, making a mountain out of a molehill, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

Isabella was a nut when it came to control. Yes, some argued it bordered on _control freak_, but I always that the title was a little too unkind. Troop Leader, Student Body President, head of so many clubs—she was always in charge. No one ever questioned her leadership, because she was good at it.

On top of that, she had the biggest heart of anyone I'd ever known, rivaled only by my little brother. Other than her dad leaving when she was three, she never had to handle much conflict in life. She was always so optimistic, so willing to see the world as a perfect fairytale. She often took it upon herself to shoulder other people's problems and make them right.

The idea of Phineas being upset through some fault of her own… I guess I could understand why that would break her. The last thing she would ever want was to hurt people, especially Phineas or I. Her fear of him discovering her feelings had to be intense. If Phineas started reciprocating, _now_, of all times… that was a terribly difficult situation in which to be.

I realized I never stopped reassuring her, spending the past… who knows how long, murmuring comforting little nothings into the quiet space. I fell silent, glad she couldn't see my cheeks heating up. My insides felt like Danville's new Butterfly Pavilion.

I shifted sideways, stretching my legs out on the couch like she had. She started pulling back, but I refused to let go of her. I drew her with me, and she conceded, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her face in my chest to stifle her cries.

Sometimes we all needed someone who wouldn't let us pull away.

Nothing further was said, but that didn't bother me. I curled the ends of her ebony tresses around my fingers and felt the rise and fall of her lungs under my other palm. I held her until her sobs turned to whimpers, her whimpers to sniffles, and her sniffles to deep sighs—and I realized something.

I was in love with this girl.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Haha well… Linda knows XD_

_Poor Izzy. Her stress and confusion finally got to her, and she cracked a little bit… but Ferb is the biggest sweetie pie in the whole world._

_Next chapter is a first for this story! The entire chapter is in Phineas' POV, and it's called… (*drum roll*) _"Breakthrough."

Phineas. Breakthrough.

Do with that what you will ;)

Lilly-Belle is out, peace!


	25. Breakthrough

_Okay… this A/N will be a little longer, so bear with me :)_

_I got a few PMs from people asking about Isabella's dad, but I don't know if I'll touch on it more in the story, so I'll give you my brief shpeal here… I viewed Isabella's father as just this absentee man. He's never in the show (we only see Vivian), and Pavenmire and Marsh are big proponents of the idea that non-traditional families can still be great. Thus, I thought it would make sense for him to have walked out of their lives. However, because Isabella was so young, and has such a massive extended family, I don't have it as something that really bothers her. The main point was the notion that Isabella, as I've written her character, was limited in her exposure to strife, and thus viewed things with a fairytale-like optimism. Hence why she freaked out and mentally crashed when something went against that._

_Also, PLEASE REVIEW! The response to my last two chapters was surprisingly low. To those that took the time (even if it's just a few words) you made my day. I enjoyed some of the personal stories some of you guys left! I like that sort of thing :) I see how many people are viewing; pretty please be reviewing too._

_Lastly, once again people have asked me to contact them, but do not have a message box thing set up on Fanfic. Thus, I HAVE NO WAY TO GET AHOLD OF YOU, little lovelies. I will gladly talk to anyone, answer questions, whatever you want, but you if you want me to contact you, set up PM with your account, or give me your email in a review or something!_

_Sorry that was so long… onward!_

**IMPORTANT: **_I tried to make it obvious, but in case it wasn't… Phineas and Buford/Baljeet are going to be running on two completely different tracks here; one thinks one thing, the other thinks another. Keep that in mind._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:

Breakthrough

**PHINEAS**

"What do you mean she left?" I couldn't believe what Buford and Baljeet said, but the proof was right in front of my eyes… or not in front of my eyes, I suppose. Isabella was gone.

"She said her mom needed her for something," Buford repeated, finishing the last bit of Isabella's sundae.

I couldn't shake the feeling that was wrong.

"Are you sure that's the reason?" I asked, looking to Baljeet, since he always had the answers.

"That's what she said."

I rested my cheek on my fist. _No, something else was going on._ That much I knew. Between the all the weirdness from these two, Isabella's complete silence after I started asking questions, and now her absence, that much was obvious.

The question, then, was _what_? What was the source of her agitation? I just couldn't make sense of it.

Then I remembered the night of Jeremy and Candace's engagement, when I was giving an explanation of the rose's infrared sensors, and Isabella summed up the whole evening in one succinct sentence. In that moment, I had thought that there was something to be said for simplicity.

So maybe the solution was simple, and I just couldn't see it. I tried to pull back my analytical scope, looking at things from a bigger picture.

Isabella had seemed agitated and antsy as of late. It was kind of odd, because I'd acted that way a few times too. Maybe the source of her anxiety was similar to mine. Come to think of it, Ferb had been acting a little differently lately, too.

And there it was.

Because when nothing made sense, even the impossible became probable. There was the common denominator. There was the answer.

I couldn't believe Candace had been right.

"I don't think Isabella's mom needed her," I stated. " I think she lied."

The blunt force of my words hit my two friends hard.

"What?" each stammered.

"I think I made her uncomfortable today. I pressed her because there was something she wasn't telling me, and she panicked and left." Baljeet and Buford made awkward eye contact, and I knew I was on the right path. "You guys know that's true, don't you?"

They both developed jumpy gazes, looking at everything but me. That was all the answer I needed.

"You're not exactly subtle." I crossed my arms.

"Look, all I will say is that it did seem suspicious. Beyond that, I would like to claim, 'no comment,'" Baljeet said, eating the last bite of his waffle cone.

"What the nerd said," Buford mumbled.

"Your help is overwhelming," I said sarcastically. "But it's okay. I figured it out."

Buford actually laughed now. "I doubt it."

"No, I'm serious." I gulped, mentally preparing myself to speak my next words. "I made Isabella uncomfortable today because of her crush."

Buford and Baljeet stared at me, slack-jawed. There were no words to describe the pure amount of surprise and terror on every aspect of their features. Had they really not known about Isabella's crush on Ferb? I would have sworn they knew, and were keeping it secret from me.

"How—how—how—?" Baljeet droned like a broken record.

"Candace told me last week," I said simply, thinking back to our conversation in the kitchen and those two texts. "I wouldn't have realized it otherwise. Although, now that I think about it, there were plenty of hints. Little signs that should have clued me in on her feelings. I guess it just didn't sink in until now."

They continued to stare.

"Oh, don't tell me you guys didn't notice," I exclaimed. "You had to have noticed."

Baljeet shook his head, looking down at his hands. "Of course we noticed, Phineas. Everyone has noticed."

"Except for you," Buford tacked on.

"Except for me? _Everyone?_" That threw me for a loop. "How long has this been going on, exactly?"

"Look, this is something you will have to talk to Isabella about to get all of your answers. I think we've meddled enough for a day." Baljeet sat back, as if to dismiss himself from the conversation.

"Speak for yourself, dweeb," Buford cackled, shifting in his chair to better face me. "The cat's out of the bag now, and I've been dying to talk about this for years."

"_Years?_" I know I was possibly the worst person in the world with romance, but how could I not have noticed my best friend pining over my brother for _years_? "What do you mean years? How long—"

"Just what I said," Buford huffed. "But how long ain't what matters." He put his hand on my shoulder.

"What matters, then?"

"The fact that if I don't pass on some of my wisdom, you're gonna screw this up. Rule number one: wrap it before you tap it. Rule number—"

"_Tap _it?" _Oh man, _I felt my face flush redder than ever before. Where the heck did that even come from?

"_Buford_!" Baljeet shrieked, his voice unnaturally high. "Do not tell him _that!"_ He turned to me. "Just ignore every single word that comes out of Buford's mouth, and you will be fine."

"Hey, my advice was good!"

"But irrelevant!" Baljeet squealed back. "It is horrible advice to give Phineas!"

"Like you could do any better, Mr. I've-liked-Ginger-and-never-done-a-damn-thing-about-it! You're barely better than he is."

"Hey!"

"Your prudishness reeks even from here."

"Buford!"

By now I was watching the two of them like a loud, bicker-filled tennis match. After so many years, I'd learned not to get involved when the two of them started going at it. I zoned out for a minute, until Baljeet's hand slamming down on the table jarred me back.

"Do not bring my mother into this! Besides, this is not about me! This is about Phineas. We do not even know how he feels about it yet!"

"Fair enough." Buford turned his attention back to me. "What're you thinking, Pointy?"

"What?" I lifted my head off my hand.

"Well," Baljeet cooled down, his voice normal again. "It is a valid question. How do you feel about… you know…"

"Isabella's crush," Buford finished.

"I didn't know my opinion should matter."

"Jeese," Buford scoffed. "Does she have you that whipped already?"

"Whipped? What are you—"

"Ignore him," Baljeet demanded, shooting the bully a fierce glare. "Of course it matters how you feel."

_How _did_ I feel about Isabella and Ferb?_

"Well, to be honest," I sighed, "I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me uncomfortable. I mean, I really didn't see it coming."

They were both silent, their faces demanding elaboration. I complied.

"Izzy was always part of the gang. A very, very important part. I guess it never occurred to me… I never realized romantic feelings could develop there."

They shook their heads like they understood. Their calmness about the whole thing was surprising.

"Does it not weird you guys out?"

"Not really," they both admitted. Then Baljeet explained, "I suppose we have had a lot of time to get used to the idea. We just want to be supportive."

"And mock," Buford added.

"No mocking, just support!" Baljeet shot back, but I didn't want to listen to them get into it again. I snapped my fingers between the two.

"Focus?" I demanded with a laugh.

"Right," Baljeet agreed, shaking his head at Buford's antics. "Phineas, I guess the crux of the situation lies with one question; what are you going to do about it?"

"What am I—?"

That question brought me up short. What would I do if Ferb and Isabella were together? What would _I_ do? That didn't even seem relevant; I couldn't control Isabella or with whom she fell in love.

_Whoa, too weird. _Strike that from the record. It was a crush. My brother and best friend were not in love.

"I guess… I'll just have to try to be as supportive as possible. I mean, what choice do I have? It's that, or be a bad brother, a bad friend. I don't want that."

My two friend's faces jerked toward each other, both suddenly looking very, very confused. They had some silent conversation full of raised eyebrows and shrugging. In unison, they turned back to me.

"Phineas," Buford began, "what _the hell_ are you talking about?"

"Bad brother? What does Ferb have to do with this?" Baljeet continued.

_Wait, what?_

"What do you mean what does Ferb—?" I faltered, completely confused now, too. "What are _you_ guys talking about?"

"Isabella's crush," Baljeet stated hesitantly.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Isabella's crush on Ferb."

Baljeet's face pinched in shock, and Buford looked like I'd just punched his mother.

"Wait, you think… you think Isabella likes _Ferb_?"

"Of course. Who—"

"And _Candace_ told you this?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"But _why_? Why would Candace tell you that?"

"Because it's true!" I blew out. I was tired of this confusion. "When you look at how they've been interacting lately, I think it makes sense. I didn't believe Candace at first, not for a while, but Isabella kept asking questions about Ferb, and bringing him up in conversation, and it just sort of… clicked. Isabella must like Ferb, because there's no other explanation for all of this… this _crazy_ going on!"

"Phineas," Baljeet sighed, "Isabella does not like Ferb."

"But—"

"The nerd's right," Buford agreed. "I never thought I'd have to say these words to you, but Isabella ain't in love with your brother."

His harsh tone caught me off guard, like he was frustrated by my idea. It wasn't that farfetched was it?

"What makes you so sure? Have you not noticed their strange behavior? I mean, the compliments, those weird glances he gives her," I scoffed, just now realizing how different my brother had been, "the fact that he'd been talking more when she lived with us, quieter when she was gone, the fact that she fell asleep on him? Have you noticed none of it?"

"Dude, of course we've noticed. We're not stupid."

Baljeet waved off Buford, as if to say, _let me handle this._ "Phineas, I think I speak for both of us," he nodded his head at the bully, "when I stipulate that all of those behaviors do not mean she likes him, or vice versa."

"Well what sense can you make of all of this, then? Why else would they been have acting that way toward each other?" I sighed, beyond frustrated. I felt like we were running in circles, dancing around answers that should have been there, but were missing a piece. "If you have a theory that can give this any semblance of logic, then please, share."

My two friends looked back at each other, their stares betraying a debate on just what to tell me, how much to reveal.

"Please," I sighed. "I have to know."

"Phineas," Baljeet exhaled in defeat, staring down at his hands. "We do have one theory."

"Okay," I hummed, leaning forward.

"Did… did…" He moved his hands into a contemplative steeple, rubbed one over his face, then went back to the steeple. He hesitated again, his hands returning to their flat position. His fingers began drumming on the table. This didn't bode well.

"Just tell me," I pleaded, and he sighed.

"Phineas… did it ever occur to you that maybe Ferb was helping Isabella… make another boy _jealous_?"

Earlier today, I thought the revelation that Candace was right about Isabella and Ferb was earthshattering.

I was wrong.

_This_—what Baljeet just said—_this _was what it was like to have the ground pulled out from under your feet. The whole world seemed to tilt sideways, losing more and more of its gravity the longer their words were inside of my brain.

_Isabella was trying to make another boy jealous?_ That thought wrenched my insides in ways I hadn't expected, my stomach tightening from the inside out and my throat going much, much too dry.

But that wasn't even all. No, Ferb had been _helping_ her make another boy jealous.

"Phineas," Baljeet said softly, "what are you thinking?"

_What was I thinking?_ What a funny question. I replied honestly.

"I don't know. I… I really don't."

They remained silent, letting this new revelation steep in my brain, giving me time to fully process. And it worked. Two minutes under the scrutiny of their gazes, and I was finally able to put my finger on this growing feeling.

Indignation.

My head fell into my hands, a thousand thoughts rushing in at once, and I realized I couldn't be here right now. I needed to be alone, needed to figure this out. I needed some fresh air.

"Guys, I'll see you at Adyson's party tonight, but until then, I have to go."

I stood up, but they did too. When he spoke, Baljeet's voice was saturated with concern.

"Phineas, you shouldn't—"

"Thanks for talking to me. I really, really appreciate it." I threw my dirty napkin into the nearest trashcan. "And I promise I'm perfectly fine; I just need some time to think. I'll see you later, okay?"

Both boys nodded, and I walked out the door.

I forbade myself from thinking about anything but physics equations until my feet found where they were going. I had made my way to Danville Park—to the old swing set at the playground. I sat down.

Finally, hesitantly, I let my thoughts shift back to the topic on which they really wanted to dwell.

_What is Isabella getting herself into? _I thought despairingly. And why did it upset me so much? I couldn't stand the thought of Isabella devising some plan with my brother to make another boy jealous.

The idea that Isabella was pining over some boy… I almost… I almost wanted to punch something.

Ferb and Isabella. It made me uncomfortable. It made me unexpectedly uncomfortable. But I could live with it. I at least knew with 100% certainty that Ferb would be a gentleman to her, and never want to break her heart.

Isabella liking another boy so much that Ferb would help her make him jealous… my mind screamed that no other boy deserved her. No other boy would understand her. No other boy would treat my Isabella the way she needed to be treated.

I froze.

Wait.

Oh my.

What the heck had I just thought?

* * *

_R/R please! Yes, read & REVIEW would be absolutely lovely :)_

_Well… there you have it! Hope you liked it! This chapter is important because it sets up a few things that drive the plot._

_Something to note: the theory that Ferb is helping Isabella make Phineas jealous. This is what Buford/Baljeet think has been going on, and now that idea is in Phineas' head too. Phineas doesn't quite realized who the "boy" is, hence why he's so upset at the end. But boy, oh boy, is that coming. I'm almost finished with Chapter 31, and I've had fun with that theory up to that point ^.^_

_Anyhoo, in summary, take note: they think Ferbella is a ploy to catalyze Phinabella. And although not the intent of the elder brother… will it work? (Dun dun duuuuuun)_

_Tune in next time to see! Same bat time, same bat channel!_

_Lilly-Belle is out, peace!_


	26. Laughter

_SURPRISE!_ A new chapter super soon! I was just so far ahead, I though I'd treat you guys to twenty-six.

It's a little shorter, and more of a transitional section, but it has its sweet moments. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb.

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:

Laughter

**ISABELLA**

The first thing that reached me was the warmth, pressed against my cheek and resting under my fingertips. Next was the sound of a heartbeat, and the smell of laundered cotton. I opened my eyes.

"Hey," Ferb whispered, and I propped myself up on my elbow.

My mind was murky, but it didn't take much cognizance to fit together the basic pieces. I was on the Flynn-Fletcher's couch. More specifically, I was on it with Ferb. Both of us were stretched out down its length. And I had been pretty much lying on top of him.

"Did I fall asleep?"

The green-haired boy wasn't looking at me. Instead, he stared across the room at nothing in particular, his hand closed and pressed to his mouth contemplatively. He looked pensive to the point of brooding, but the overall effect was ruined by the pink in his cheeks.

He nodded.

"You okay?"

His eyes lit with surprise, like the question was preposterous. "Hm?"

"Are you okay?" I repeated.

"Oh yes," he chuckled, blue meeting blue when he finally returned my gaze. "Most definitely."

"And what does that mean?"

In answer, he smirked but shook his head. "Nothing, love. How was your nap?"

I sighed and lied back down, listening to his heartbeat under my cheek. "What's with this calling me 'love' business, huh? That's new."

"What?"

"You keep calling me 'love' today."

"Do I?" His voice was inquisitive, curious.

"Yeah," I yawned. "That makes three or four times now."

He laughed under his breath. "Honestly, I hadn't even noticed."

Then the events of earlier today finally settled back in my brain, and I started. I shot up so fast I fell off the couch, landing hard on my butt.

"Isabella?" Ferb spluttered, half concerned and half trying to hold back a laugh.

"How long was I asleep?" I gasped.

Ferb shrugged. "An hour, hour and a half. Not too long."

I quickly stood up, sure my cheeks were burning. I was asleep for that long, and he did nothing but hold me? That was… that was so unbelievably sweet I didn't know what to do with it. But any warm feelings were quickly extinguished by the embarrassing memory of my mental breakdown earlier.

"Ferb, I'm so sorry you had to see me like that," I quickly murmured, and he looked puzzled.

"Love, you don't—" he stopped, as if realizing he'd used that nickname again. A peculiar smile crept onto his face for just a second, but he shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes I do."

"No, you don't." He stood up, taking my hands. "We all need a good cry every now and then. What matters is how you're feeling now."

Why was he so perfect? It shouldn't be possible.

"Embarrassed," I laughed. "That's how I'm feeling now." He shook his head amusedly, but I figured he wanted a more serious answer. I did an internal inventory, and was shocked to find that I felt fine. Lighter, even. "I'm alright."

His amused look grew into skepticism, and I snorted.

"Honestly, I'm fine. More than fine. I feel like… I don't know. I feel like I've let go of a lot of anxiety I've been carrying for a while. I feel back to normal."

"You promise you're not just telling me what I want to hear?" His eyes gleamed suspiciously, and I gave him the most thankful smile I could muster.

"Pinkie promise," I replied. He chuckled, looking down at our interlocked hands.

"I'll take your word for it; I don't want to let you go."

I felt my cheeks flush with color. God, he was too good at those charming little comments. Too good for my own good. I couldn't even call it cliché, because the sincerity in his voice made it so sweet.

Sweet…

Sweets.

Ice cream.

"Phineas!" I yelped, pulling my hands from his. "I have to go!"

I noticed my purse lying on the floor, and quickly snatched it up. How could I forget? Phineas could be here any minute! It was pure luck he hadn't come home while I was asleep. That would have been disastrous! If he came home now…

Then I saw Ferb's face, and froze. The look in his eyes nearly broke me again. It was only there for a second, exposing something so hurt, so betrayed, before they became completely void of emotion.

I realized how he must have taken my outburst.

"Oh, oh no, baby, it's fine. I just—I meant I can't be here when he gets home," I quickly explained. "I lied earlier and said I was helping my mom, which was why I left. I have to be gone before he gets home. I don't want to have to explain things to him, you know?"

He visibly thawed, the tension leaving his shoulders. Ferb was always so calm, so collected. Seeing that brief glimmer of turmoil, pain and insecurity was heartbreaking. Although, now he was looking at me with an expression of cheery puzzlement.

"What?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh, nothing," he breathed, that odd little smile growing wider. "I just… I guess I'm not used to nicknames either."

"Nickname? Wait, what did I call you?" I tried to think back to my explanation, but couldn't recall. _Panic!_ What had I just said? What slipped out of my mouth?

"Never mind," Ferb shook his head, laughing under his breath. "Doesn't matter. But you're right, you should go before he returns."

We headed for the door. I'd just taken the handle, when another thought stopped be short.

"Wait, your mom was here when I got here. What if she mentions to Phineas that I stopped by? Should we say I was returning a book, or something?"

Ferb's hand flew to the back of his neck awkwardly, red leaking into his cheeks. "Uh…"

_Uh oh._

"What are you not telling me?"

"My, um… my mum… uh…"

Ferb was stuttering. The ever quiet and always eloquent Ferb… was stuttering.

"Oh no," I gasped. "No, please—_please_ tell me she didn't come downstairs while I was sleeping!"

Ferb blew out a puff of air, staring up at the ceiling. He looked mortified. _Oh no no no no no no._

"_Ferb!_" I hissed, my voice dropping down to a whisper, as if the walls had suddenly sprouted ears and hands to pry away my secrets. "If you don't start talking _right now,_ I swear, I'm going to—"

"Well, she—she may have… figured a few things out… before you even got here…" he mumbled under his breath.

"WHAT?"

"…and—and came downstairs while you were asleep…"

I ran my hand over my face. Linda figured out a few things before? What did that even mean? Then to find she came downstairs to the sight of me cuddled up with and asleep on her son—though not the son she would have ever expected me to be sleeping on.

"But that's not what matters now," he said quickly, shoving me towards the door. "What matters is getting you out of here before Phineas gets home."

He already had me out the door—no doubt willing to do anything to limit my exposure to his embarrassed side—but I turned around.

"You don't think she'd tell Phineas, do you?"

He pressed his lips together, but shook his head.

"What makes you so sure?"

He sighed. "First of all, she probably thinks it's something we should tell him, not her. And, well… I think she also knows that we haven't even figured out what that 'something' is to talk about in the first place." With that, he started closing the door, but I stuck my foot out to stop it.

"There's an implied, 'second of all,' in there, Fletcher," I said stubbornly. "Let's hear it."

He rocked back and forth on his feet, his gaze jumping from one place to another—anywhere except my face. Wow. The ever-composed Ferb was rarely uncomfortable. This… was absolutely wonderful to witness.

I was so amused right now.

"Ferb?" I demanded, and he let out another puff of air.

"Secondly, well… she's being oddly… supportive."

"_Supportive? _What did she say? When she saw us, I mean?"

He grew even redder. "Nothing. She… she didn't say anything." I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently. He got my message: continue or die. "She just sort of… smiled… and… and gave me a thumbs up..."

That was it? _That_ was what had Ferb so flustered? A suggestive thumbs up?

"That… is so _adorable_!" I burst out laughing, clutching my sides. Yes, it wasn't exactly nice to poke fun at his embarrassment, but it was so rare I had to jump on the opportunity when I had it. "_You_ are so adorable."

He glared at me, but there was a playfulness in his voice. "You are being terribly uncouth right now."

In the midst of my giggling, I gave him a thumbs up.

He sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes with both exasperation and mirth. "Goodbye, Isabella."

I still hadn't stopped laughing, but I called back, "hey, see you tonight!" before the door closed.

* * *

**FERB**

My little brother showed up half an hour after Isabella left. It was evident early on that something was bothering him, but true to form, he was happy within minutes, declaring he "had a hankering for some inventing."

His optimism never failed to amaze me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon drawing up blueprints for a mega sandcastle Phineas wanted to build some time in the next few days, complete with working elevators and a hot tub. It was a lot of fun to do something just the two of us, like we were both little kids again.

Mum insisted we eat dinner with her before the party, lamenting loudly and dramatically about how we only had "so many college-free days left with our poor mother." Neither of us complained. Mum's homemade lasagna or a couple slices of cheese-covered cardboard at Adyson's house? There was no contest.

Mum invited Isabella to join us, since she was going with Phineas and I to the party. She was nonchalant about it, revealing nothing in her voice or actions, but I was still a little on edge. She hadn't mentioned Isabella's stopping by earlier, but there were other issues at hand. How was I supposed to act around her now? Around Isabella when she was over? How would this recent revelation change things?

These were the burning questions.

Thankfully—or unthankfully, depending on how you looked at it—Isabella declined. She said that she and her mum were planning on making homemade tamales and spending some quality time together.

Both our mum and Vivian were tickled pink about the party, proclaiming that the three of us kids didn't do enough "normal" teenage activity. They encouraged loudly and unyieldingly for us to go, have a good time, and not worry about when we were home.

It made me want to laugh. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? The kids wanted to stay out later and break the rules, while the parents protested. But for us? Nope. It was the opposite. _The parental problems of good kids_, I thought amusedly.

It was nearly seven o'clock—already an hour into Adyson's party—by the time Phineas and I made our way over to Isabella's house to pick her up, but I didn't think any of us minded.

Adyson's house was still in our neighborhood, and we could have walked there without too much hassle, but I insisted on driving. I didn't know how long we were going to be there, and if it reached the a.m. hours, I didn't want to be stuck walking home.

Phineas rang Isabella's doorbell, and she was quick to answer. She was wearing the same outfit as earlier—my favorite red shirt with a white skirt—but it looked like she had showered since I'd last seen her. The tips of her hair were still damp.

"Ready to go?" Phineas asked.

She smiled at both of us, genuine and bright, like her breakdown earlier never happened. "Definitely. I'm ready to have some fun!"

Much to my relief and surprise, the drive over was free from awkwardness. Phineas let loose with some witty anecdotes, and Isabella shared a funny story about a string of mishaps that had happened while she and her mum made dinner.

"Really? _In you hair_?" Phineas laughed, and Isabella giggled out a confirmation. Who knew tamales could be so hard to make? I guess that explained the shower.

We were there quickly, and all three of us were in high spirits. We jostled around with each other on our way to the door, laughing at inside jokes and just enjoying the wholesomeness of being a trio_._

The moment was delightfully heavy—one of those times when you stopped and hoped your memory had the whole thing recorded. I couldn't help but feel quite pensive_. This_ was what it was all about. _This_ was what it came down to: how much I loved these two.

Such sentimentality was cut short, however, when Isabella rang the doorbell. Adyson answered with a huge smile, practically dragging us inside and down to the basement. She was talking a million miles a minute, about how sad we should be that we missed what we'd missed, and how there'd already been so many hilarious moments. One part of her babble in particular caught Phineas and Isabella's interest.

"Wait, what do you mean your parents are out of town?" Isabella gasped. "You didn't exactly mention that in your invite!"

"Chill, Iz," Adyson laughed. "It's no biggie. Just our friends, no drugs, no alcohol. I kept it relatively tame."

Adyson's basement was a large room, complete with a few couches, a table, a fireplace, horrid light green walls, and a guest bedroom just to the side. Pretty much the entirety of our close friend group—Buford, Baljeet, Ginger, Gretchen, Holly, Katie, Milly, Django, and Irving—were sitting on the floor and along the couches in a circle. Most were holding sodas, a few of them with slices of pizza.

I put a reassuring hand on Isabella's shoulder; _this will be fine._

"Embrace a little rebellion in your life," Adyson crooned, hopping over to a table she'd set up. She grabbed a soda out of an ice chest and tossed it to my brother. "Have some fun! You can just jump in with us."

"Jump into what?" Phineas directed his question at the whole group, but Adyson was the one to answer.

"A positively tantalizing game of Truth or Dare."

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Yes, I know not much happened, per se, but I also thought a lighter chapter was fitting. Things have been intense lately, but this is Phineas and Ferb we're talking about. Some laughter and high spirits were overdue._

_The drama and hilarity returns in the next chapter, "Comfort Zones," when our trio plays some Truth or Dare. It's another first for me; I have three POVs present!_

_Thank you to those who take that second to review. You rock!_

_Love, Lilly-Belle_


	27. Comfort Zone

_Ah yes, the sarcastic reviews about Truth or Dare… yes, I often roll my eyes at it too, but it fit._

_Oddly enough, I wrote this chapter after I wrote Chapter Four, and just now wrote all the way up to it… you know, 24 chapters later XD Pretty funny. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:

Comfort Zone

**FERB**

"Time to go over the rules for the newbies," Adyson sang, grabbing Isabella's wrist and tugging her further into the room.

"Rules?" my girl laughed. "Adyson, it's Truth or Dare. I'm pretty sure we're good to go."

"Oh no," our hostess proclaimed. "This isn't your typical middle school Truth or Dare. No, this is pre-senior year Truth or Dare! This shit is real!"

She practically shoved Isabella onto the floor before returning to her spot next to Buford. I was about to sit down next to her, but Phineas beat me to the punch. Grumbling internally, I sat down next to my brother.

Then I mentally slapped myself for my griping; I was becoming too invested in Isabella. It was ridiculous.

"In this game, there's the Coward's Clause," Adyson continued. "If you back down from a dare, you have the penalty of three truths, and vice versa."

"That's crazy," Phineas interjected, clearly out of his comfort zone. My poor brother had never been at home with normal teenage activities such as this. He'd rather drink in a physics book than have a drink, rather make plans for a crazy machine than make out at a crazy party.

"Oh, and you can't pick one option more than twice in a row," Buford tacked on with a maniacal glint in his eye.

This was spelling disaster. Adyson was a well-meaning party girl with a dirty sense of fun. Buford loved any and everything that made people uncomfortable—especially sexually—and constantly bombarded us with suggestive jokes. Put the two of them together at a party… this would be an interesting night.

"Ferb!" Adyson declared, and my eyes met her wicked grin. "Truth or dare?"

What confused me was why she would pick me first; I was easily the most boring choice in the circle. Well, as far as everyone else knew. My life had been scandalous as of late, but that wasn't common knowledge.

"Wait," Katie cut in, "before they got here you'd just asked Baljeet."

"Oh, I was hoping you'd forget that," Baljeet mumbled, wringing his hands together.

"Right," Buford cackled, "don't let the nerdling off the hook. Truth or dare, dweeb?"

The Indian sighed. "Well, I would like tru—"

Buford interrupted with a loud noise like a buzzer. "Sike! You don't actually have a choice. You've picked truth twice in a row." His smile turned downright evil. "Time for you to do a dare."

Baljeet gulped, his copper skin draining of color.

"I got this," Adyson claimed, leaning forward. She contemplated for five seconds, the serious gleam in her eyes downright intimidating. "Baljeet… I dare you to kiss one girl here for at least ten seconds."

Okay… so it was _that_ kind of game of Truth or Dare. I immediately grew worried for my little brother; he didn't know how to handle these types of things.

"Um… can I just take the three truths instead?" Baljeet faltered.

"You can," Buford replied, tilting an eyebrow, "but I can promise you every fiber of my being will go into making sure the questions make your life a living hell."

It was then that my young, relationship-challenged brother surprised me.

"It's okay, 'Jeet," he laughed. "We all know who you'd pick anyway."

"What?" Baljeet yelped, both he and a certain Japanese girl in the circle turning the color of cotton candy.

"It's pretty obvious." The redhead rested his chin on his closed fist, propping himself up on his leg in a casual manner. "Actually, very obvious. To everybody. So you should just go for it."

This… from Phineas_._ Romantic encouragement and statements about what was obvious… from _Phineas. _

_Phineas!_

And yet… somehow, it worked.

Baljeet nodded at my brother, gulped, took two deep breaths, and stood up. With three strides, he crossed over to the absolutely stunned Ginger and dropped down in front of her.

"Ten seconds?" he asked Adyson, still not meeting the eyes of the girl he'd picked. Adyson nodded. No one said a word. Finally, Baljeet looked at Ginger. "You—um, you don't mind, right? I-I mean, I know it's a dare, so if you don't want me to, I don't—I mean… I-I can just—"

Ginger leaned forward and kissed him.

The gesture on her part was very sweet… the kiss in general was unbelievably awkward—not in their actions themselves, per se, but just that we all had to watch.

Surprisingly, Baljeet managed to be pretty suave. After three seconds of initial startled lip contact, he slipped his hand to the back of her neck, his thumb brushing along her cheek. They both leaned into it a little more.

I mean… good for them. Heaven knows the two of them had waited long enough… but it was still _so_ awkward to have to sit here and observe.

My eyes drifted to Phineas, who was red and casually tracing a pattern on his shoe to avoid the PDA. My vision then drew up to the girl next to him. Just as she was doing the same. Isabella quickly looked back down at her lap almost shyly, her hair falling over her shoulder. _Damn, that was cute._

More than ten seconds had definitely passed and a few people cleared their throats. With a start, Baljeet pulled back. He was redder than I'd ever seen him before—really, he could put a tomato to shame—but he also looked massively pleased with himself. Ginger's face was still etched with shock, though there was a small smile slowly creeping across her lips.

It was about time.

"Um… Ferb, truth or dare?" Baljeet muttered, his voice small.

Seriously? What was with them choosing me? Apparently my surprise showed in my expression, because Baljeet quickly blurted out an explanation.

"Just because Adyson picked you before!"

I nodded in recognition, then shrugged as an answer.

"Oh, let's give him a truth!" Holly exclaimed, and everyone got excited. I rolled my eyes; how eager they got simply because I didn't talk much.

"Let's make it a _really_ tough one!" Buford demanded.

"Hey!" Baljeet snapped, "this is _my _turn to ask, and I'll ask what I want." Everyone else looked at him expectantly, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…"

We waited for ten seconds, but Baljeet was still struggling.

"Oh come on," Phineas laughed. "It's not that hard to come up with a question." Then, to prove his point, he turned to me. "Hey, Ferb, how many girls have you liked?"

I raised my eyebrow; was it really going to be that easy?

"No!" Adyson exclaimed like she'd read my thoughts. "That's too boring."

"Aha!" Baljeet jumped in, eager have his say. "I've got one that's a little better. How many girls have you ever fallen in love with?"

Well, that was a little more embarrassing to admit, but it was doable. Completely doable… but my usual answer of one—Vanessa—simply wouldn't work anymore.

_Isabella_, my mind hummed, and my stomach tied itself into excited knots.

I'd only realized the way I felt about her a short time ago, but the feelings had been there, buried deep and growing, for years. I would do absolutely anything for her, anything to make her happy.

Careful not to look at the girl from across the street, I held up two fingers.

"Two?" Phineas scoffed, giving me a smile that was equally astonished and sly. "You've been holding out on me!"

I shrugged: my only response. All they had asked for was a number.

My pick. I leaned forward, staring at Isabella. She seemed to sense it, and looked up. With a smirk, I tilted my head at her: _truth or dare?_

Her mouth fell open just slightly and her eyes gleamed with incredulity, like she couldn't believe I was doing this to her. At times like these, she usually called me a damn genius or a bloody Brit. I imagined those words running through her head, along with some other colorful language, but it was such a wonderful opportunity. I couldn't resist.

"…Dare," she said carefully, probably too afraid of what question I'd ask her.

"Ooo," Katie cooed, "Isabella's being risky!"

It was her turn to roll her eyes, with a mutter of, "I'm regretting this already."

I rubbed my chin theatrically, letting her see that I enjoyed having her fate in my hands. I had expected her to say truth, though, so in all honesty, I was drawing a blank. Ten seconds passed, and I still hadn't thought of anything.

Well, that wasn't completely true; there were many possibilities that popped into my head—the most tempting of which being _kiss me_—but none of them were appropriate options to announce to the group.

Adyson exploded in a fit of giggles. "Oh, _hell_ yes! I've got a good one! And by good one, I mean _bad _one!"

"Oh no," Isabella groaned, her head slumping into her hands. "No, let _Ferb_ pick the dare. You're crazy!"

"I dare you…" Ady paused for dramatic effect, ignoring Isabella's protests, "to give a strip tease to one boy of your choice."

"WHAT?!" Isabella, Phineas, and I all yelped at once.

"A strip tease or a lap dance. Your choice. Thirty seconds."

"No," Isabella blurted out. "Oh no. No. Hell no." She was shaking her head adamantly, her cheeks burning about five shades of pink. Adyson laughed.

"Aw, don't be such a prude!"

"I'm not taking off my clothes or dancing all up on someone," Isabella cried indignantly. "Not when everyone else can see me."

"Coward Clause!" Django hooted. The room erupted in excited shouts; apparently this was the first Coward Clause occurrence of the evening. Isabella would now have to answer three questions.

I could live with that, but only if I didn't let everyone else run away with it. My friends were quick on the draw, though.

"What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever experienced?" Milly asked.

Isabella laughed. "You mean other than when Adyson just gave me that dare?" Everyone else chuckled good-naturedly. "I'm going to go with that."

"Hey, that's not a good enough answer," Adyson whined. "I don't think that should count!"

"I have to answer three of these things," Isabella replied with a wonderful amount of snark. "That's all you're getting."

"How old were you when you had your first kiss?" Django asked, and all of the Fireside Girls groaned.

"Don't ask her that," Katie exclaimed, smacking the back of Django's head.

"It's a wasted question," Holly agreed. "We all know she hasn't—"

"Seventeen," Isabella replied coolly, and a hush fell over the room. Everyone stared at her.

One second, two seconds. I was able to count all the way to five before all the girls exploded with wild exclamations and questions, such as, _WHAT! _and, _you didn't tell us? _The only one who wasn't going crazy with their most recent revelation was Ginger, who, for just a second, smiled at me.

I quickly looked away.

I focused on wrapping my head around Isabella's answer. _Seventeen. _I knew she'd never dated anyone, so it should have been obvious, but I guess I never fully comprehended the fact that I had been her first kiss. My lips were the first hers had ever touched. I smiled.

"What the hell do you mean _seventeen_?" Adyson yelled above the rest, and everyone simmered down. "You mean you kissed someone and didn't tell the Troop? _Who?_"

Whether on purpose, or just out of habit, nearly every gaze in the room shifted to Phineas.

Phineas! My eyes shot to my brother too. He stared at the floor, his eyebrows pressed down in confusion, like he hadn't quite registered all that had just happened. He looked back up at Isabella, staring at her hard. He seemed so stunned, like he'd never imagined Isabella was capable of the verb _kiss_.

I didn't like it.

Then I realized that Adyson had meant her question of _who_ to be the last of Isabella's three. I didn't want that. I was the one who had asked her truth or dare, and I was going to have a contribution.

I flagged everyone down, and for the most part they grew quiet. I nudged Phineas and made a few gestures.

"Ferb's making claim on the last question, since he was the one that asked Isabella in the first place," the redhead translated effortlessly. I loved my brother; he always understood me. Most of them looked surprised that I'd even bothered interrupting, but I realized there was already a question asked to which I wanted an answer.

Isabella looked over at me quizzically, and I could easily read the thought etched into her cerulean irises; _what'cha doing, Fletcher?_ On top of that, there was a silent threat laced across her lips and down her shoulders. I chose to ignore it.

I nodded my head at Baljeet, tilted it back as if at myself, then looked at her expectantly. Both Phineas and Isabella's faces lilted to the side in puzzlement, both understanding exactly what I was asking, but not why I was asking it.

"Ferb is going with the same question Baljeet asked him," Phineas voiced for me. Then he looked back as Isabella. "So how many boys have you ever fallen in love with?"

"What another waste!" Buford bellowed, but Adyson elbowed him.

Of course, they all expected her to easily reply one, and move on. Well, except for Phineas, who had no expectations. And maybe Ginger, who apparently had some insider information. And me. Of course there was me. I had absolutely no clue what to expect.

For one crazy moment, I was stuck in this mental in-between, at the crossings of panic and calm, of regret for asking this question and a burning need to know the answer_._ It was terrifying.

Isabella mirrored this. Bewilderment, disbelief, trepidation—it was all on her face, shimmering in her eyes. It was subtle, probably only noticeable to me, since I actually knew there would be a reason for her to have these feelings.

Her gaze was everywhere. She stared at me, glanced around the circle, gulped. She looked to Ginger, who offered a reassuring smile, back to me, Phineas, then down at her lap.

She licked her lips. They parted in the process of forming a word, and I wasn't sure if my heart was beating. I wasn't breathing.

"Two."

* * *

**ISABELLA**

Oh.

God.

No.

Crap.

No.

That didn't just happen. I didn't just say that. That single word did not just waltz out of my mouth and into this room. It did not.

Because if it did, if those three letters really just slid off my tongue, then that would mean that I'd just admitted to this entire room—basically to my entire social life—that I was smitten with somebody other than Phineas Flynn.

No. It would mean that I had just told everybody that I thought I'd actually _fallen for_ somebody other than Phineas Flynn.

Which I hadn't even touched, contemplated, analyzed, realized, accepted… I loved Ferb. I loved Phineas. I loved Ginger, my mom, Baljeet, Buford (most days), the rest of my troop…

But there was a difference between loving, and being _in_ love. A very distinct difference. One that didn't apply to Ferb because I wasn't in love with him. I loved Ferb, and was in love with Phineas.

But in this panicked moment, I didn't have the time or luxury to listen to all of the uncertainties that always slithered in my ears with the older Flynn-Fletcher boy. I had no time to doubt, to overanalyze. And I had said two.

For the second time that night, I brought forth mass hysteria with a single word, but I shouted over them, unwilling and unable to respond to their questions until I actually found answers of my own.

"Hey, I've answered my three questions. I'm off the hook." I refused to meet either Flynn-Fletcher's eyes.

A few mornings ago, the wonderful Gretchen had tactfully overlooked Ginger and I's less than subtle back-and-forth when we were comforting Adyson, but the rest of the group wouldn't be so considerate; I had to move on before they had time to dwell.

"Gretchen, truth or dare?" I asked, ignoring the continued barrage of questions hurdling through at me through the air.

The smallest member of our troop turned pink, her hand drifting to push her glasses up her nose. Demonstrating an incredible amount of trust in me, she replied, "dare."

I wanted something fun and party-like, but not mortifying like Adyson's dare for me. I decided to go with a classic.

"Two ice cubes down the shirt," I said. "One on each side, and they have to stay there until they melt."

That dare had been given to me in the past. Poor darling. Although, I had to admit that being on the observing side was quite entertaining. Everything in life was funnier if you weren't the victim.

The game continued, the hot seat bouncing from one person to the next. Milly had to try and drink soda while standing on her head. Holly told us about the embarrassing time when she'd accidentally used the boy's bathroom the first week of high school. Irving was asked to reveal something no one knew about him—and I will forever be scarred by his answer…

There were just some things that were _never_ meant to be known.

It was a night of interactions between crushes, apparently. First Baljeet and Ginger kissed, then Katie was dared to mock-propose to Django, complete with an embarrassing speech leading up to the question.

That was another one courtesy of Adyson. Her dares were way beyond anyone's comfort zone. Although, I guess that was what made it okay. We were all uncomfortable, and that was the only thing that made this alright_. _In a weird way, it was a bonding experience.

Buford asked Adyson how far she'd gone with a guy, but I'd learned my lesson with Irving; I did my best to tune out the entirety of her answer. Instead, I sang Lindana songs in my head and waited for it to be over.

"My turn to choose," she sang when she was finished, tapping her finger against her lip menacingly.

All I could think was, _her poor, poor victim._ I hoped it wasn't me. I couldn't pick truth after what I'd revealed; their question would have been more invasive than I was prepared to answer. I would have no choice but to go with dare, and there would be no backing down. No matter the dare, I'd have to do it.

She took a long, melodramatic breath, her eyes slowly roving over every face in the room before resting on one.

"Phineas, truth or dare?"

* * *

**PHINEAS**

Ah, yes, the dreaded moment when they would finally remember no one had asked me yet. It had arrived.

So far, I'd had an alright evening. At the very least, I couldn't say I wasn't entertained by my friends' antics. I was just massively out of my comfort zone. Kissing and romance and embarrassment—these things were beyond my nature. Now my friends would surely drag me into it, kicking and screaming if they had to.

Thus, _truth or dare? _was one question for which I didn't actually want an answer. Never thought that day would come.

"Can't I just, you know… spectate?" I asked hopefully, looking to Buford and Adyson, the clear ringleaders of the inappropriate activities.

"Oh no, Pointy," Buford bellowed, crushing an empty pop can in his hands. "You ain't getting out of this."

_Sigh._ As I expected. I just wished anyone but Adyson would have asked me. The suggestions she made were completely nuts! The general pattern in the room showed that her questions were more tolerable than her dares, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to answer any questions tonight.

My brain had taken a trip on an emotional rollercoaster today—and not the fun, musical kind. Rather, it had teetered in that moment when you're up high, looking down at the ground, knowing at any second you would plummet, and just waiting. Waiting for time to resume, waiting for the release, waiting for the fall.

I felt like I was on the brink of something big, but the springs just wouldn't expand, the pistons wouldn't kick, and I wouldn't drop. I was suspended at the top.

No, I didn't need any more. I had enough questions, enough answers I was searching for—and at the center of it all was Isabella Garcia-Shapiro.

"Tick tock, Phineas," Adyson cooed, her bright purple fingernails drumming a rhythm on her cheek. "Pick one. _Truth or dare?_"

I took a deep breath. "Dare."

For a second, she looked surprised, then impressed, and then contemplative in a most unnerving way.

"Phineas," she drawled, her green eyes glimmering with a distinct curiosity, "I have two options for you. You get to pick which one you want."

I nodded, at once thankful for and utterly freaked out by the idea of options.

"I dare you to either kiss a girl of your choice, or spin a bottle and kiss that girl."

The sound of my heart pounding against my ribcage was the loudest sound in the room. My mind rejected her words, closing down my thought processes and refusing to listen. _What did she say?_ I hadn't heard her correctly, had I?

"Adyson, that is too much," Baljeet said, a few other people nodding their heads in agreement.

"Oh, no it's not," Adyson protested.

"Is so," the Indian replied, but Milly cut him off.

"Well, it's no worse than what you were dared to do," she mumbled, staring down at her hands.

"Well, yes, but—"

I had of course been uncomfortable this whole time, but now it morphed into something else entirely. The uneasiness from the ice cream shop was back, like there was some underlying pulse to the happenings around me. There was a subtle thrumming to my friends' words, to their actions, that I was just starting to recognize.

"But what?" I asked. "Why is it different because it's me?"

Baljeet stared at me, his mouth hanging open like a fish stranded on a dock. "N-no, that is not what I—I didn't mean… oh never mind." He covered his eyes with one hand, his other making a dismissive gesture in the air.

I guess that settled it.

"Pick one girl to kiss, or spin a bottle, and kiss the girl it lands on?" I asked Adyson, and she nodded. My head returned the motion.

I couldn't believe what I was thinking right now… I couldn't believe that the second Adyson gave me my dare, my mind snapped down on one name, and one name only. I must have thought of her so quickly because I was the most comfortable with her.

Because… because… any other reason wouldn't be okay. Because she was my best friend, and best friends didn't automatically think of the other person when dared to kiss someone. And because Buford and Baljeet thought she was pining over someone else who—newsflash!—apparently _wasn't_ my brother.

"Okay." I took a calming breath. "Option one."

The room was silent. _Breathe, Phineas. _I turned toward Isabella, and she was suddenly a statue. Her dark blue irises watched me, suddenly wary, but I mustered a small semblance of my usual confidence.

Giving her my best apologetic look, I brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Sorry about this," I murmured. She hadn't moved a millimeter since I'd turned to her. She hadn't breathed, hadn't blinked. I leaned in.

* * *

_R/R, please!_

_Daw, Isabella said two… that's gotta make Ferb happy._

_And Phineas… well, looks like he's really getting somewhere._

_Before this night is up, everything goes crazy. See you then!_

_Love, Lilly-Belle_


	28. Karma

_One day off from the two month anniversary of this story! Yay!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:

Karma

**ISABELLA**

"Option one," Phineas breathed, and suddenly I couldn't.

I couldn't make sense of it. I couldn't even remember what option one was anymore. I couldn't understand why everyone else was suddenly looking at me… until I saw that Phineas was looking at me too.

And it hit me.

It hit me that he was choosing _me._

It hit me hard.

"Sorry about this," he said quietly, is eyes reflecting his apologetic words. His hand moved up, brushing a few stands of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my cheek for just a second too long—just a second longer than Phineas would ever have let them linger before.

I was a sculpture. I was stone, head to toe. I was unable to move. To think, breathe, accept, deny, appreciate, wonder—

Phineas Flynn leaned forward...

And pressed his lips to my cheek.

The pressure was feathery-light, just along my cheekbone, and I felt my skin flush. In a second, the warmth was gone.

"What the hell was _that_?" Buford bellowed, leaning forward like he was going to pummel the redhead next to me. He was joined by multiple other cries of protest.

"What do you mean?" Phineas said with a… oh wow. Phineas was grinning. A giant grin that went all the way to his eyes, shining with mirth.

"That wasn't your dare!" Adyson cried just as indignantly as the bully, heads around the room bobbing up and down in agreement.

"You said I had to kiss one girl here, and I did."

Mouths opened. Mouths closed. He was absolutely right. Adyson never specified what kind of kiss, or for how long. Of course Phineas would be the one find little loopholes in Truth or Dare. And he was grinning because he'd outsmarted the crazy partiers… No other reason.

Because everything with Phineas came down to logic and fun. That was all.

_That's not true,_ whispered a tiny voice in the back of my head. I told it to shut up, but it didn't listen. _You know that moment was unexpectedly charged. That there was something in it that wasn't typical of the Phineas you know._

As frightening as it was, the voice had a point. Something about how Phineas brushed aside my hair, grazed my cheek, kissed it—something about the way he was looking at me right now...

Phineas was always an open book. His expression now was a complex hodgepodge, but the elements were discernable. Frustration, like when ran into a mechanical problem that was hard to fix. Lost, like those days when he wasn't allowed to invent and just sort of… cracked. Curiosity, like he'd just discovered something and couldn't wait to start drawing up blueprints.

But there was a new one, too. Something that Phineas never expressed: insecurity.

His hand drifted up to scratch his ear, and his eyes quickly darted away.

What was happening?

I looked to Ferb next, searching his face. Despite how well I knew him, I could read nothing in his eyes. He was too good at hiding emotions. I didn't like it. I didn't want him to have to suppress or control. It made me feel… so guilty.

He was watching his younger brother, every aspect of his features drenched with cool ennui. Sensing my gaze, he looked at me, and the corner of his mouth pulled up: a reassuring smile. It somehow felt empty.

The rest of the room stopped their bellyaching at Phineas' circumvention of the dare, clearly catching on to the shift in the atmosphere. They could tell as well as I could that something was off with Phineas. Something was different.

He was somehow more pensive, more reserved. But what did that mean?

"I think that's enough of this game for now," Adyson announced awkwardly. She stood up, and most of the circle followed her example. Meanwhile, I was still doing my best statue imitation, completely unable to move.

Next to me, Phineas took a deep breath, and his usual jovial self resurfaced from whatever was happening before. He stood up, stretched up on his toes, then offered me his hand. Slowly, I took it, and he pulled me up.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable," he said quietly, though I knew the whole room was listening with bated breath.

"It's fine," I replied automatically, but cleared my throat. He deserved better than just my go-to response. "I mean, you didn't make me feel uncomfortable. It was actually… kind of sweet, so don't worry."

I gave him my best reassuring smile, which he returned. His eyes sparked in a way that told me he was pleased with my answer. Then we both realized he hadn't let go of my hand, and quickly parted without a word.

I moved across the room to Adyson's food table, hoping that being out of the center of the space would somehow get me out of the center of attention. Phineas didn't follow, starting a conversation with Baljeet, which helped to diffuse some of the tension. Everyone was talking loudly, deliberating on what to do next.

It allowed me the time to discreetly snatch a carrot stick and breathe. Which lasted about a minute. Ferb started walking over.

_Oh god oh god oh god. What would I even say?_ I had no clue what he was thinking right now, no clue how he felt about what just occurred in the game.

My alarm was apparently written on my face, because he raised his eyebrow, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

"What?" I snapped a little too defensively.

He glanced behind him, making sure there was at least a good distance between us and everyone else before he deigned to speak.

"I'm just enjoying this wonderful validation of karma."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, not much," he smirked deviously. "It's just… you teased me earlier for being embarrassed, and now look at you. I walk over here to grab some food, and you're equally pink from being flustered and white like you've seen a ghost."

"Well that's only because you make things so difficult," I mumbled sardonically. This only seemed to delight him further.

"How so?"

"Because you just love to drive people crazy. It's like you get a kick by waking up every morning and… and sprinkling yourself with magical enigma pixie dust!"

He stared. He blinked. And he burst out laughing. I mean, this wasn't the subtle chuckle I was used to from Ferb, but actual laughter. Laughter that made everyone else stop and wonder what made the silent boy suddenly make noise.

"Okay," he took a deep breath, still trying to contain his mirth. "Okay, you're going to have to explain that absolutely ludicrous statement."

He was speaking quietly enough that no one else would be able to hear him, but others were definitely paying attention now. I tried to ignore them the best I could while still keeping my voice low.

"You just love being this enigmatic Mystery Man," I huffed. "Delighted by how much they want you to talk, elated by the questions you'll never answer, and I think you get some thrill from hiding your emotions. You have this straight-faced calm that everyone falls for, but it doesn't work on me anymore. I want to know what you're thinking."

"I'm not hiding my emotions from you." He plucked the uneaten carrot from my hand and took a bite of it with a loud _crunch_. "I think you are perfectly aware of how amused I am right now."

Why was he being so calm? Not only calm, but playful, joking, and facetious. It made no sense in the context of all that had happened.

"But what about with what just happened with Phineas," I retorted. "I can't tell a single thing you were thinking a few minutes ago. How am I supposed to know what's going through your head when you have zero reaction?"

He suddenly looked surprised.

"Isabella, I thought the last thing you would have wanted was for me to reveal any emotions. I figured you wouldn't want anyone else to know… you know…" he rubbed the back of his neck, his voice lowering even more, "that I could have had a reason to be upset."

I snatched back the remaining half of my carrot and ate it; it was the only way I could think to demonstrate control. He just rolled his eyes, but I pretended my action had its intended effect.

"What I _want_," I started, "is for you to not feel like you have to fade into the background. You always do that. It's okay to have reactions, and to feel things, and lose your cool and let other people see that. You don't have to be the silent, indifferent Ferb all the time."

"So what does that mean?" He leaned on the table, looking far more relaxed than I expected. "You wanted me to throw a fit when Phineas was dared to kiss you? Wanted me to storm out, or something?"

My mouth snapped open indignantly.

"No, that's not—that's not at all what I—I just hate seeing you suppress things. You already don't talk in front of the rest of the group; I don't want that to bleed out into everything else too." Then the mental image of Ferb storming out of anywhere caught up with me. It was so preposterously out of character it made me giggle. "You didn't actually consider storming out, did you?"

"Heavens, no," he chortled. "He had an opportunity to kiss you, and the idiot still went for your cheek." His head lilted to the side, his eyes gleaming with something I didn't quite understand. "The way I see it, your lips are still mine, and I thus don't see any need to be overly upset."

That comment made me anxiously look over his shoulder, checking that the others were still too far away to hear our quiet conversation. I got a few confused glances, but I figured that was because they'd never seen Ferb carry out an actual, verbal conversation. Adequately appeased that we were in the clear, I turned my attention back to the green-haired boy.

"You're taking all of this suspiciously well."

"Well, I have _to. _Why wouldn't I want _to _take it well? I hope that doesn't upset you _too _much_._"

I was suddenly very, very embarrassed; he wasn't being very subtle in his verbal emphasis. To. Too. _Two_. This was about the answer to my last truth question. That was why he wasn't freaking out, and why he was being so jovial right now. Because he was caught up in my answer.

With that, he winked and tossed me another carrot stick. He turned around, and it was funny seeing how many heads suddenly looked away, our friends pretending not to have been paying any attention as he rejoined the group.

They had all come to a consensus to play a massive poker game, which wasn't something I was good at. At all. I only knew the rules because the Fireside Girls had to get a card games patch, and I really sucked at it.

"Phineas just said we should make it strip poker!" Buford teased, slinging his arm around the suddenly flushed redhead.

"Hey! I did not!" he protested, shoving Buford off. "No strip poker. Nothing crazy like that."

"Well, we have to have something to make it interesting," Adyson whined, but the general consensus was to remain clothed.

"How about the winner gets something special?" Baljeet offered.

"What, like they get to kiss someone, or something?" Holly asked.

"Brilliant!" our hostess exclaimed, bouncing up and down on her toes. "But it needs more. Like… winner gets Seven Minutes in Heaven! Their choice for partner in the guest bedroom closet!"

I couldn't help but laugh a little._ One of my poor, poor girls…_

The winner would be Buford; he played poker all the time, and was ruthless with it. The bully definitely wouldn't pick me, since I would castrate him in ten seconds flat. That meant this arrangement would be dooming one of my girls, which would be oh so very cruel of me… but I found myself shrugging and nodding with the rest of the group.

Entertainment was entertainment, after all.

The game began, all of us sitting on the floor again, and went on for a while. It was a good distraction from the crazy relationship drama that permeated every other minute of my life. That didn't make me any better at it, though.

Needless, to say, I was the first person out. I folded when I should have played, played when I should have folded, and found I couldn't bluff worth a flying unicorn tail.

Once I was out, I moved over to the couch on the far side of the room and watched the nearby fireplace. The flames danced along the fake wood, but I'd always preferred watching the steady blues at its base. It was so warm.

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes, enjoying the heat lap at my skin. At first I listened to the hoots and howls behind me, but it eventually drifted out of my mind. I'm not sure how long I stayed that way, but I was jarred back to alertness at the sound of someone approaching.

"Room for me?" Phineas asked, smiling sweetly.

"Of course." I scooted over, and he plopped down on the couch. "You lose too?"

"Of course I did," he laughed, propping his legs up on a small coffee table. "I'm not exactly the best liar."

I snorted. Yeah, that was true.

"That's too bad, Phineas," I admonished, filling my voice with exuberant amounts of melodrama. "You're going to miss out on a _whole_ seven minutes in heaven."

He laughed again. "How will I ever survive?"

That brought me up short. He was joking, of course, but something about it bothered me. Ferb had raised a good point earlier, about Phineas having the opportunity to kiss a girl, but still going out of his way to avoid it. He was doing it again—not caring about any sort of physical intimacy.

All day I'd been worrying how I would react if Phineas finally came around, but even when he had a chance to kiss me, he still hadn't taken advantage of it. I had been thinking about Phineas starting to like me, but what if I was taking his recent behavior incorrectly?

What if Phineas Flynn was repulsed by the idea of me liking him? So much so that he wouldn't stoop so low as to kiss me, even for just a dare?

Then I mentally slapped myself. That wasn't within Phineas' character, and I knew it. I was just letting the tension and complexity of the situation get to me. But still… I wanted to know…

"Phineas," I started slowly, wringing the ends of my skirt in my hands, "can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," he teased, and I shot him a look. He always did that to me! "Just kidding, Isabella. I quote you from earlier; you know you can ask me anything."

I nodded and took a deep breath.

"You're almost eighteen. What eighteen year old boy wouldn't want Seven Minutes in Heaven with the girl of his choice?"

"I don't understand—"

"We're going to start senior year in a couple months, and you haven't even batted your eyelashes at one girl. You never notice any of them, never paid attention to school dances, never showed any interest in dating, never—never showed any interest in anything to do with girls at all."

I didn't know where all this was coming from; it was word vomit incarnate, but I was just so tired of thinking about Phineas and… wondering_._

"And?" Phineas asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What's your point?"

"I guess," I sighed, meeting his eyes, "I guess I just want to know why."

He looked down at his hands, rubbing them together awkwardly. And were his cheeks red? With a shock, I realized my question made him nervous. Phineas was never anything but confident.

"Wow, Isabella," he chuckled, "so parties bring out your intrepid reporter side, huh? Noted."

I stared at him raising one of my eyebrows. "You're not getting out of answering," I said coolly when he gave no indication of responding. For once, we were going to talk about this. He sighed in defeat.

"It's not like I _never_ considered girls, or dating, or anything. I'll admit it was rare, but not '_never.' _I just thought there wasn't any point to it."

"No point?" My fists balled up the tip of my skirt's fabric, my eyes drifting back to the fire. I decided I was right about it before: hot, beautiful, and terribly destructive.

"Yeah. I mean, if any girl liked me, it might be different, but—"

"_If _any girl liked you?" I couldn't believe what I just heard.

"Yeah. If a girl had an interest in me, I'd give something a try, but… I'm just so bad with romance stuff. I like to put my energy into projects that I know I'm good at, you know?"

I figured if I twisted the hem of my skirt any tighter, I might end up with permanent damage. Grudgingly, I forced my fingers to stop clenching the material.

"Hey guys," Baljeet said, walking around the couch and dropping down on Phineas' other side. Trailing him was Ginger, Django, Holly, Milly and Katie, who spread out around them. "What are you talking about?"

Phineas looked down at his hands, indicating I was supposed to answer. Usually, in this kind of situation, I would reply _nothing_ and the conversation would move on to other topics, but… I didn't want to do that this time.

I was already down the rabbit hole; I might as well get the most out of this.

"We were just talking about Phineas' dating life," I declared.

To my delight, I was met with six utterly shocked and scandalized faces. Phineas rolled his eyes, apparently not overly surprised that I told them. He probably felt that he had nothing to hide, and didn't even mind it. Hell, there was no probably. He was too innocent to have something to hide.

"Isabella was wondering why I didn't date," Phineas explained, "and I told her I'd consider it if there was a girl that liked me. Beyond that, there wasn't really a point."

The six faces went from scandalized to absolutely dumbstruck. Twelve eyes flashed to mine, each one saying, _Wait, what? Seriously?_

"You mean, you think there's _never_ been a girl that's had a crush on you?" Gretchen squeaked.

"Yeah…" Phineas responded, but there was doubt in his voice, like he was just realizing he could have been wrong. "Why?"

Suddenly, I was upset. His words were wounding, disappointing, and I was even a little mad. The anger was only there for a second, before it sizzled down to an overall feeling of _hurt_, but it was unpleasant nonetheless. And for some reason, I wanted him to know that.

In an abrupt surge of bravery, I opened my idiotic mouth. "Because it's not true, Phineas. You've just been ridiculously blind and never seen it." My voice shook, and I didn't look up from my skirt. I didn't want to see the corral of stunned faces staring at me; I could already feel the intensity of their gazes, their incredulity.

_Stupid, stupid Isabella! Why did I just say that?! _Now he would surely figure things out, and probably laugh at me. Things would get awkward between us, and even if Ferb was there to pick up the pieces, everyone would think he was just some sort of rebound guy. Neither boy deserved that.

Before another word could be said, there was an explosion of shouts from the poker game behind us.

"We have a winner!" Adyson yelled above the clamor. Everyone else shifted their attention to our hostess, but I figured it was futile.

"Who do you think Buford will pick?" I asked no one in particular. "Adyson? Milly?"

Phineas glanced over the back of the couch and let out a laugh. "Buford didn't win, actually."

"Really? There's a surprise. He's so good at poker." I returned my feet to the ground, trying to smooth the skirt I'd mangled. "Well, if he didn't win, then who—"

All at once the room was silent save my voice, my words the only filler in the soundless space, and my question died out. My hands froze along the white fabric. The heaviness in the air settled down on me in thick waves, and I slowly, hesitantly, looked up.

Irony and karma: they were indeed very interesting, very terrifying things. I was saddened by the idea that Ferb always faded into the background, and now the first thing my eyes found was Ferb's hand.

Ferb's hand, held right out to me.

"My choice, right?" he smirked.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_TROLLOLOLOLOL… Like I'd actually make Phinabella's first real kiss some stupid dare. That would be terribly anticlimactic for their relationship. That would be a super awkward and terribly unromantic first kiss, so no. Could that be coming? ;)_

_And Ferb… my lovely darling… He reaaaally liked Isabella's answer ^.^ Gave him the moxie to pull this little stunt at the end. For those who liked chapter 20, you'll like next chapter. Because Ferb won and he's choosing her! *Squeals* This should be interesting for everyone else..._

_But be warned, everything will be hitting the fan soon. Very, very soon. So soon I can feel the drama breathing down my neck!_

_Love you, darlings! Thanks to those who review!_

_~Lilly-Belle_


	29. Restraint

_Hope you're having a wonderful day so far :)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:

Restraint

**FERB**

_Two. _Tonight, two might have possibly become my new favorite number. Isabella was asked how many boys she thought she'd fallen in love with, and she said _two. _Phineas, of course. But there was also me. I never thought she'd ever see me on even a remotely close level.

The second that word left her mouth it was like... I didn't even know what it was like. Wonderful. Even when Phineas chose to kiss her, I was alright. Well, that's not to say I wasn't bothered by it. I definitely was. I was undeniably bothered by it, but I was too thrilled to be too upset. Then he'd only kissed her on the cheek, and I just felt even better.

When I followed her to the food table, my good mood still hadn't soured, which was why I was surprised to see _she_ was upset, especially at such an unimportant thing as my response during the game.

She was mad that I hadn't shown any reaction when Phineas picked her. Although, perhaps mad wasn't quite the word. She was more peeved, upset that I continuously chose to fade into the background. She wasn't wrong; I did hide my emotions behind an endlessly quiet façade, and never talked to anyone but her and my brother, but I didn't realize that might trouble her.

At first I thought it was a bit selfish of her, like she was surprised I hadn't jealously fawned over her, but I quickly realized that wasn't what she had been getting at. She had been genuinely distraught by continuous need to hide. Behind my silence. Behind my mastery of an indifferent appearance. It was strangely endearing.

A small, hopeful part of my mind even looked at it as… some sort of green light. If seemed that she was saying it was alright if I let the others know I cared about her, let some of my restraint go, maybe took a chance with her.

Perhaps that was my _two-_addled mind being a little over-zealous, but it made me see things in a new way. As I walked away from the food table, I thought, maybe for once, I didn't have to be the forgotten afterthought of _Phineas and Ferb._ At least, not to her.

When poker was suggested, I almost wanted to laugh. When Adyson declared a prize for the winner, I did indeed chuckle under my breath. After all, I had a wonderful poker face.

Poor Isabella was absolutely dreadful at the game, and the first to lose all of her chips. Phineas was next, and I didn't like having to watch the two of them sitting and talking by the fire, but the conversation at the table kept me grounded.

"We had a weird time earlier," Buford was saying quietly, giving a basic description of the interaction between Phineas and Isabella at the ice cream parlor earlier—during which Katie, Ginger, and Holly surrendered, but remained sitting with us to stay part of the conversation. "I really think Dinner Bell is coming around. You should have seen how he reacted."

"Reacted to what?" Gretchen asked, tossing a couple chips to the center of the floor.

"The idea that Isabella liked somebody," Baljeet replied. "He was uncomfortable with it to say the very least."

Buford revealed his hand this round, and Django threw in the towel.

"So you think he's close?" Adyson queried, stretching out on her stomach like a cat and sifting her cards around.

"Well, if he is starting to feel jealous because he thinks Isabella likes someone, then that could very well mean he is starting to see her in a romantic way. I think he is."

_Wait…_ Was Baljeet actually saying Phineas was jealous… of me? _Me?_ That idea was so foreign, so ridiculous, that I couldn't even comprehend it. Not Phineas Flynn, the wonderful, outspoken, kindhearted genius. Why would he be jealous of me?

Not to mention that meant Phineas suspected something was going on between Isabella and I. My mind splintered with that idea, taking it three different ways: 1) what? 2) _what?_ And 3) well… if he already knew something was up, why not be as bold as I liked? What reason did I have to tiptoe around the issue anymore?

"Wait—but why would he be jealous of anyone? Everyone knows she's loved him for years."

"Everyone but him." Baljeet said. "He has no clue, so of course he'd get jealous thinking she liked someone else."

I could vaguely see where this was going—Baljeet somehow postulated that I was trying to get Phineas and Isabella together. That I was helping her make my brother jealous. I just hoped he wouldn't actually name me in the conversation; I didn't want to face any questions, since it was clearly the _farthest_ thing from the truth.

Instead, our Indian friend sighed and laid his cards down. "I'm out. The probability of my loss is all but certain."

"I'm with you, 'Jeet," Irving agreed, tossing his cards on the floor. That left it down to Gretchen, Adyson, Buford and I still playing, but their chances were looking slim. Baljeet stood up, muttering something about checking up on the two, and most of the group left with him.

Buford shook his head amusedly. "Ferb, you're the best wingman in the world."

I tossed a few chips into the pot and the others followed suit. I wanted to tell them that I wasn't, I really wasn't. That I didn't quite know what I was.

"What makes you say that?" Adyson asked offhandedly, mulling hard over her cards. "Ferb, did you do something to help the two of them get together?"

_I hope not._

Although I thought he'd been on the other side of the room, Irving was suddenly right next to me, his hand on my shoulder. If I was the type of person that jumped, I would have, but I wasn't. Instead, I settled for the jarring thought of just how strange Irving could be sometimes, despite his friendly nature.

"Oh, you know Ferb. He's always talking with Isabella."

"Really?" That seemed to interest Adyson, perhaps a little too much.

Irving nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but I wanted to stop this conversation where it was. Thankfully, I had the perfect out; I laid down my straight flush and watched the indignant expressions bloom around the circle. With cries of shock and dismay, my three friends thoroughly surrendered.

"We have a winner!" Adyson yelled, and everyone else chattered excitedly behind us. I stood up and turned around.

When I won the game of poker, I knew it would elicit an interesting response from everybody. I could see it in their eyes, even if they didn't say it aloud; _who the hell would _Ferb_ choose_? The anticipation surrounding me was deliciously thick.

Naturally, there was only one girl, but no one else knew that. _As of right now_, no one else knew that, I corrected. I suddenly felt gravity again.

It was one of those weird decision moments, suddenly pressing itself down on my shoulders. What I did, how I acted—this was the moment when I stuck to the norm or defied expectations.

I chose.

Without a word to anyone, I slowly strolled across the room.

Before I saw her face, I could tell she was upset, as evidenced by her skirt. It was terribly wrinkled on the bottom, the victim of nervous wringing or frustrated mangling. Her shoulders were tense and apprehensive.

When I finally saw her face, staring intently down at her clothing, I knew the expression well; this was how she looked every time on my bed, when Phineas had said or done something that hurt her.

I planted myself firmly in front of her, and the room went dead silent. I held out my hand.

"…didn't win, then who—"

The unnatural quiet finally dawned on Isabella, and her question fizzled out. She looked up, her eyes first seeing my hand, then, after a second, trailing up to my face. It was clear in her expression that I had startled her. She looked confused, and I could see she hadn't made the connection yet. She hadn't realized what I was doing.

"My choice, right?" I quipped, unable to keep the smirk from my face. Her eyebrows furrowed for just a second, then realization sparked in her eyes.

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure how Isabella would respond. I thought she would most likely look around to each speechless face in the room, panicked about what to do. She would weigh her options, considering the pros and cons of taking my hand, versus sticking with the view that she was helplessly in love with my brother. I wasn't even sure she would take it.

But I'd chosen to take that risk.

She utterly surprised me, along with every other person in the basement. Without breaking eye contact or any hesitation, she took my hand. The room exploded with gasps, wolf whistles, and cries of both disbelief and amusement.

I smiled and pulled her off the couch, and the wolf whistles doubled in volume. Then one voice cut them off.

"Wait—_what_?" Phineas exclaimed, standing up too. He was the smartest person I knew, but he looked like he hadn't quite followed what had happened. "You won and you're—you're picking _Isabella_?"

I nodded, while a stunned Adyson declared that, "a deal's a deal."

Doing my best to pay no further mind to my brother, I pulled Isabella along to the basement's spare bedroom after Adyson. Our hostess, with a distinctly quizzical look, opened the door to the closet and ushered us inside. It was small and dark, but I guess that was the point.

Isabella's face was bright red, and I hoped mine didn't resemble that color. That would have been mortifying for everyone to see. Thankfully—or perhaps unthankfully, if one looked into it too much—Adyson was too surprised by the recent turn of events to regale us with her usual commentary. Without a word, she shut the door.

"You okay, love?" I blurted out as soon as we were alone. "You looked upset. Your skirt, it was all wrinkled, and you—"

Her lips pressed to mine and her hands slid around my neck. _What… was I saying? _Something about making sure she was okay? Oh, this felt good… but I pulled back.

"Hey, I know what Seven Minutes in Heaven usually means, but I just wanted to make sure you're alright. You seemed—"

"_Stop_ being so _damn_ perfect," she snapped. "I'm fine." She meant to reassure, but there was a sad undertone to her words.

"Isabella," I sighed, cupping her cheek in my palm. "I hate seeing him upset you like this. I hate seeing you hurting."

"Then cheer me up," she said in a voice so seductive I didn't know what to do with myself. I had no idea she could talk… like _that._ She'd always been beautiful, but the way she'd said it, trailing her finger down my chest, was _so_ hot_. _So _excruciatingly_ sexy.

I could do nothing but stare in question, my mind forgetting those insignificant little things called words. In response, she pecked me on the lips again. That was all the persuading I needed.

In one fluid movement, my arms were around her, and our lips met more forcefully. Once again, she tasted amazing, like sugar, lemonade, and summer all in one. It was intoxicating. She sighed into my mouth, and I felt the tension drain out of her.

I cradled the small of her back, pulling her to me completely. My other hand trailed up her spine and into her hair, and she shuddered under my fingers. Her hands, which had been resting on my shoulders, slid up so her arms were around my neck, and her chest was suddenly pressed against mine.

Bloody hell, all of my restraint came crashing down.

A gasp escaped her lips as I rushed forward, pressing her flat against the wall. In response, she arched her back even more, pulling on me so that every line of our bodies touched. She whimpered like she had the first time I'd kissed her, and my stomach was set aflame with feelings more intense than I'd ever experienced before.

She gently tugged on my lower lip, before pressing her mouth against mine harshly. She was being so sexy, so aggressive, so… out of character for Isabella.

A small part of me—the part that grew up the quiet boy in the shadow of a vivacious brother—couldn't help but fear why this was happening right now. It wasn't because Phineas had upset her again, and she didn't know what else to do. _Right_? That wasn't the reason behind all that had happened between us this summer. _Was it?_

"Ferb…" she growled mid-kiss, sensing my distraction. She pulled on me more forcefully, reminding me that she was mine right now. And she was right. We'd have to talk about this later, but now was now. And I knew she couldn't deny this… whatever it was. Chemistry. Uncontrollable passion. No matter what you called it, it made my mind melt.

Isabella groaned against my lips, and I understood her frustration. We were as close as we could get, but it just wasn't enough. We needed _closer_, no matter how impossible.

Both of my hands slid down to her waist, tingling as they felt the skin that her disheveled shirt had exposed. She made a small sound in the back of her throat at the touch, and I quickly slid my hands under the fabric, coming to rest just under the line of her bra. Her skin was so feverishly warm, so unbelievably smooth.

I wanted every inch of it, wanted it to be the oxygen I was lacking.

We broke apart to gasp for air, our chests heaving against the other's. We were both unbearably winded, but I didn't want to stop. I wanted more, so much more. I could never get enough of her.

"Ferb…" she whispered mid-lungful, and I lost it all over again.

I went straight for her neck, kissing down her pulse and back up her jaw. Her breaths morphed from winded pants to staggered gasps, and her fingernails dug into my back. When I finally reached where her neck met her collarbone, her back arched with the fierce moan that escaped her lips.

I'd found a sweet spot. I kissed her there again, then again, pulling back just enough to see her reaction. She was biting her lip to try to stay quiet, her eyes squeezed shut and her chest heaving with whatever she was feeling right now.

_Damn, I loved her._

I kissed her nose. I kissed one cheek, then the other. I kissed her lips, then trailed small ones along her jaw.

I kissed farther back on her neck, at a curve just under her ear, and immediately felt a jolt go through her body. It was so intense she shoved against me, unwilling to face whatever I'd just caused in her.

I simply wouldn't have that.

I grabbed her wrists and pulled them up, pinning them against the wall and utterly stunning my girl beyond any form of protest. Half a second later, I was back on the spot I'd discovered. I started with gentle kisses, but didn't have the restraint to keep that up very long. Within moments, Isabella was writhing against me as I nipped and sucked hard.

"_Oh… _oh god_. Ferb!"_

In my momentary distraction at her whimper, she was able to wrench her wrists free. Quite forcefully, she grabbed my face, pulling it back up before she smashed her lips against mine. A low moan grew from my throat, and my fingers clamped down on her sides.

I couldn't stand it anymore; without breaking the kiss, my hands slid down her thighs until I felt the bottom hem of her skirt. So easily, I slipped my hands underneath. Her breath grew even more ragged as my fingers glided up the sides of her legs, moving tantalizingly slow, until I was holding her just below her hips.

I was about to hitch her legs up so they could wrap around my waist.

But the door swung open.

* * *

_R/R please!_

_Yes, another cliffhanger. I know these past ones have been devious, but I've updated very quickly to make it up to you guys! (See… I'm not_ that_ mean XD)._

_Hope you liked Ferb and Isabella closet time :) I'm still new to writing make-out scenes, so I hope it's alright. Nice and shmexy? Oh! And who opened the door?_

_Next chapter… it's all Phineas. It's called, "Coalesce." Do with that what you please._

_After that is probably the most dramatic chapter I've yet to write. It's all Isabella, and let me just tell you… chapter thirty-one… the feces are about to strike the fan, and it's gonna hit hard! SOOOOO TENSE!_

_Thanks for the reviews!_

_~Lilly-Belle_


	30. Coalesce

_Just to make something in this chapter clearer, I wanted to remind you that in Chapter One, on the Valintaversary Day, Ferb tried to play wingman and said, "__If neither of you have valentines, why don't you be each other's?"_

___Glad you guys liked the closet scene. I was insecure about it, so the positive response was wonderful!_

___Okay, that's it._ Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY:

Coalesced

**PHINEAS**

Yeah, chalk poker up to another event at this party that I was absolutely dreadful at. Bluffing wasn't exactly my style, and my heart wasn't in it anyway. I figured it was all for the better, though, because then I could just hang out with Isabella by the fire.

All through the game, she hadn't looked at me once. She hadn't looked at much of anyone, really, choosing to stare down at her cards. I couldn't help but wonder if it was my fault. I thought I'd freaked her out by choosing her for my dare.

My dare…

I'd been trying not to think about it. I did my best to force it from my mind, but… I couldn't ignore it, not after what I'd thought earlier today. I'd thought about Isabella liking some boy, and I hated it. I'd thought that no one else deserved _my_ Isabella. But that was just because I was a protective friend, right?

Well, yes, I was a protective friend, but when Adyson gave me that dare, my mind automatically jumped to my best friend. There was no other option. I _wanted_ it to be Isabella. I hadn't even considered any of the implications of that thought process, but now I was worried to even touch it. Despite what she said to the contrary, maybe I had made her uncomfortable.

I sat with her nonetheless, but something appeared to be bothering her. She didn't look at me during our conversation, staring straight ahead at the small cinders framed in brick. Watching her—with the orange of the fire glistening in her eyes and her hands wringing the end of her skirt—I once again couldn't keep myself from thinking about my dare.

It was just a dare. A simple dare. It was a kiss on the cheek, nothing more. And it was Isabella, above all else! Isabella, my best friend and neighbor. So it didn't matter. I shouldn't feel guilty for crossing some line. I shouldn't chastise myself for enjoying it. But I shouldn't be studying my best friend's profile like this, either.

She was so close again… but the conversation didn't let me dwell.

She was asking me all kinds of questions about girls, and I tried to answer them the best that I could, but I couldn't shake the idea that I'd hurt her. Was this because I chose her? I couldn't tell, but before I could ask, we were joined by a whole salvo of our friends—friends that also took a suspicious amount of curiosity in this topic.

They all started talking about my love life—or lack thereof—but they seemed indignant when I said I'd consider dating if a girl liked me.

"You mean, you think there's _never_ been a girl that's had a crush on you?" Gretchen asked, and I grew even more uneasy. They were all looking at me as if… as if I was completely clueless.

"Yeah… why?" I couldn't hold the doubt from my voice.

"Because it's not true, Phineas," Isabella said, and my blood stopped in my veins. Things became sluggish, removed—_what did she say?_ And she wasn't even finished yet. "You've just been ridiculously blind and never seen it_."_

That was when my mind decided to board a bus to the Eastern Tri-State Area. It wasn't true? I was blind? I looked to every other face, surprised to see they were all looking at me now, a few of then nodding oh so slightly. Were they… were they actually telling me that—

Adyson yelled behind us; the game was over. When I'd turned around to see what the commotion was about, I wasn't at all surprised to see that Ferb had won. Really, it was the only possible outcome; no one could bluff better than my brother.

I was happy, because I thought maybe Ferb would just laugh about winning, scoff at the prize, and put this whole Seven Minutes in Heaven business behind us. He would stroll on over to us, plop down on the couch with Isabella and I, smirk, and make a quiet joke about poker at Buford's expense.

Well, I wasn't entirely wrong. He did stroll over to us. He did regard Isabella and I. He did smirk. But he didn't sit down. Instead, he held his hand out to her. He… he held his hand out to her as an invitation.

The room went silent so suddenly that only Isabella was talking, staring down at her skirt obliviously. Completely unaware that Ferb wanted her to… that _Ferb wanted her._

But… Buford and Baljeet said nothing was going on between them, so was this all part of whatever plan the two of them concocted?

The room exploded in a plethora of responses—shouts, gasps, wolf-whistles, and all sorts of comments that only confused me further. I couldn't make sense of it, couldn't process—I most certainly couldn't hold back my outburst.

"Wait—_what_? You won and you're-you're picking _Isabella_?"

All eyes turned to me, but I could only watch my brother. I got no real response, and, just like that, the two of them were gone. Thirty seconds later, Adyson returned from the guest bedroom, and everyone could do nothing but stare at each other.

"Okay… so…" Adyson rolled back and forth on her heals awkwardly. "Anyone want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

Silence.

I could practically taste the quiet, congealing in our throats to ensure its reign. Why was nobody talking? Were they really that surprised that Ferb might have chosen Isabella? Did they know she probably liked someone else? That Ferb was just "helping" our neighbor?

Then one voice jumped up through the increasingly apprehensive room.

"Oh boy," Ginger exclaimed, laughing a little too loudly. "Who could have seen _that _coming? Because, like, it was completely unexpected. None of us could have seen that coming, am I right?" She laughed awkwardly again, and everyone turned to her.

"Ginger," Adyson said menacingly, sauntering up to the girl in question. "Is there anything going on that we don't know about?"

I was surprised by a desperate tug in my stomach; I really wanted to know the answer. Wait, maybe I didn't want to know the answer, not if I didn't like it. But why would I not like it? Bah! I couldn't think straight.

"N-no, of course not," Ginger stammered, shaking her hands back and forth defensively.

"Ginger…" Adyson repeated with even more threat in her bright green eyes.

The Japanese girl started stuttering incomprehensively, but was saved when Irving sprang up behind her.

"Why are you guys so surprised?" he asked flippantly. "It was pretty dang obvious a ways ago."

"Obvious?" I rasped.

"Well, the two of them talk all the time."

"Ferb and Isabella talk?" Django asked, scratching his ear.

Irving nodded. "All the time."

"Wait, as in _talk_, talk," Adyson clarified. "Like, Ferb actually speaks. _Ferb_ has legit, back-and-forth, _verbal_ conversations."

"Of course," Irving replied like this was the most axiomatic thing in the world. "Didn't you guys know that?" Everyone shook their heads, so Irving looked to me. "You knew that, didn't you, Phineas?"

I, did, words, what? I tried to order my thoughts, resulting in terribly long silence and far too many stares. I cleared my throat.

"Well… I know that Ferb is more comfortable talking to Isabella and I than the rest of you guys… if that's what you mean."

"Well yeah, that's true, but that's not what I'm talking about. The two of them banter incessantly_._ You should hear it. It's really amusing."

Irving was saying everything offhandedly, but the effects of his words were anything but casual. Did my silent brother actually have lengthy dialogues with Isabella that not even I knew about? What else had Irving observed?

"What…" I started, but couldn't finish. Irving got my question anyway.

"Well, he'd cheer her up a lot. She'd always go up to his bedroom whenever she was sad, and they'd talk for hours."

"Irving…" I started slowly, my mind reeling with the idea that Isabella had been sad _a lot_, and I hadn't noticed. I also was taken aback that she would always go to Ferb about it instead of me. I would have built her any machine or made any plan to cheer her up. Didn't she know that? But I brushed that aside.

"Uh, Irving," I started again, "how do you know what happens between Ferb and Isabella in his bedroom? How do you know… any of this?"

Then my words replayed in my head. _Ferb and Isabella in his bedroom…_ Oh _no. _Oh jeese_, no. _That thought was way too bizarre and difficult. I immediately exiled it from my mind. Everyone else's eyes were wide at my statement, too, and I felt my cheeks burn. Irving opened his mouth to answer my question, but I hurriedly waved him off.

"Never mind! I don't want to know."

With that, we settled back into a long silence. An excruciatingly unbearable silence. I didn't know just how much time had passed, but I couldn't stand it. I had to speak again.

"You know, they're probably just talking, then." I looked down at my shoes. "She seemed upset about something earlier… and apparently she always talks to _Ferb_ when she's upset."

When there was no response to this, I dared to look up. Everyone was staring at me curiously. No one said a word until Adyson took a few steps in my direction.

"Does it matter?" she asked, eyeing me coolly.

"What?"

"Does it matter, Phineas? If they're just talking, or… _more_?" I could feel my cheeks heating up again as every face in the room studied my own.

Something was going on, I realized. That question was unexpectedly heavy, and everyone was waiting for my response with held breaths. _Did it matter?_ Apparently it did. It mattered to all of them. _My_ answer mattered to them, and—

And_..._

Oh… oh my god.

The answer crashed into my gut. The muddy, confusing equation that had surrounded me finally coalesced. The pieces all rushed in, much, much too quickly, and collapsed into place.

_If neither of you have valentines, why don't you be each other's?_

_Phineas… did it ever occur to you that maybe Ferb was helping Isabella… make another boy _jealous_?_

_Because it's not true, Phineas. You've just been ridiculously blind and never seen it._

My mind broke, and my legs immediately tried to follow its example. I staggered back against the couch, using it to hold me up.

_No, no, no, nonononono, _that couldn't possibly—I couldn't possibly—_she_ couldn't possibly—

"Phineas? Baljeet asked gently. I looked up into his eyes, each overflowing with concern. "You alright?"

I muttered something unintelligible—some random string of labials that made absolutely no sense. This made no sense. Isabella, she…

She couldn't, could she? _Why_? Why would she even…

I slid down to the floor.

"Phinny?" Adyson took a few steps forward, but I ignored her.

Instead, I focused on my conversation in the ice cream parlor with Buford and Baljeet. Their confirmation of Isabella's crush, their confusion when I thought it was Ferb, their theory that he was helping her, that she was trying to make someone jealous—it all… it all made sense now.

And not only that, but so much more. Too much. Way, _way _too much. So many summer days and casual comments, so many school dances and class projects together, so many jokes made by our friends. I saw it all now with painful clarity.

"Phineas?" Baljeet crouched down to my level, his hand on my shoulder. And I suddenly wanted to know—I _had_ to know—if I'd fallen into insanity. This… just couldn't be true. _How_ could it be true?

"It's me, isn't it?" I barely got out, so quietly Baljeet had to strain to hear. "It's—it's me," I tried again, ignoring the way my voice trembled from my throat. "It's… god, it's me."

I looked around the room, watching each face shift from confusion to sympathy, but that wasn't concrete enough. I looked to Baljeet.

"Earlier you said—you said there was nothing going on between Ferb and Isabella. You said it was all part of some plan, and that he was helping her make someone... someone else jealous." I gulped. "And… it was me. It's—it's always been me, hasn't it?"

Baljeet watched me for some time before—with a movement so small I could barely catch it—he nodded.

He nodded.

Oh god, he nodded.

The room was suddenly too small, too crowded. _Isabella liked me._ There wasn't enough air in here anymore. _Isabella Garcia-Shapiro has liked me for years._ I needed some space to breathe.

"I… I, uh…" I staggered to my feet, but couldn't convey my needs to my friends. Much to both my relief and chagrin, I was an open book; everyone appeared to understand. They parted as I made my way to the stairs. Only when I was halfway up could I called back, "I… just need a minute."

Or ten. Or maybe a lifetime, because that was how much I couldn't _comprehend._ Isabella… Izzy and me. How could I never have noticed? How could I have been that oblivious? _How?_

I found my way to Adyson's front porch, my hands automatically reaching out to steady myself on the rail. The sun was long set, and the night was cool, smelling of cut grass and of everything _home_. This was my element, and the familiar summer air calmed my mind.

I decided that shock wasn't such a bad emotional state, though, because as soon as I was calmer, I had time to think. Time to think brought up questions, but more than anything, it let me dwell on how I felt about my most recent revelation.

And it was too much.

I was overwhelmed, because I'd never experienced this extent of surprise before. I was angry, because I was apparently the last person in all of Danville to know something this freaking relevant to my life. I was embarrassed, because now I saw myself as they must have seen me hundreds of times—completely clueless. I was ashamed, because of how many times I must have been a jerk to her, not realizing… just _not realizing._

I was frustrated, confused, astonished… I was so many things.

But most of all, I was disappointed, because… because had I realized this before, I knew everything would have been different.

I would have pummeled all those boys that asked her out.

I would have told her how beautiful she looked at every dance I'd failed to ask her to.

I would have smiled and agreed with so many of our friends' teasing comments about the two of us instead of brushing them off.

And tonight, during that silly game, I would have kissed her. I would have swallowed whatever nervousness held me back and actually kissed her.

* * *

_R/R please! Reviews are wonderful, wonderful things!_

_Well, things finally clicked for Phineas. Which means everything's going to go down! Next chapter is absolutely heartbreaking and wonderful and… the pinnacle of drama in this piece thus far, I feel. Poor Phineas. Poor Izzy. Poor Ferb. Oh, it's going to be good..._

_That being said… I have some bad news. Currently, I'm typing this A/N from the hospital (not for myself, but for my little sister) while the little darling sleeps. I am thus not sure when a new chapter will come. It shall not be too long, as I have it typed up and everything, but I need to handle my sweetheart first. For sure less than a week. Who knows, it may only be a couple days. I don't know! Just know, if I'm gone for four days, I'm not quitting the story or anything. I'm just handling the family crisis._

_I posted in light of all of this just because the cliff-hanger last time was so drastic, but this one is cushioning enough to hold you over in case I'm stuck in the hospital for a few more days._

_Oop! My baby is crying now! Gotta go coddle. Lilly-Belle is out, peace!_


	31. Fall Apart

_Hey, guys! Thanks for the supportive words regarding my sister. We have a few answers, and thank goodness it's nothing life-threatening! My baby should be alright within the month, so here's an update. __Sadly, this upcoming week might be a little slow in updates still, because she's requiring a lot of extra attention. Thanks for understanding!_

___I've reread this whole piece recently, and saw that when I write super dramatic parts like I have recently, my writing is exponentially better XD It was so curious to see!_

_Glad you guys liked Phineas' realization. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb._

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:

Fall Apart

**ISABELLA**

My skin was on fire, but my mind was liquescent. It was an amazing feeling, like the nerves all over my body were on hyper alert, drawing from my brain to compensate, and leaving me with this tingling numbness in my head that could only approve, only want more.

This was more extreme than what had happened on Ferb's bed last week, driven further by this overbearing knowledge of a time limit, this consuming sense of urgency.

That considered, maybe we should have held back a little bit. We most definitely shouldn't have let it go as far as it did, but when Ferb's hands began roaming up my legs every bone in my body screamed that I wanted that touch.

I realized he was intending to lift my legs up to wrap around his waist, and my stomach grew heavy with a giddy craving; I loved the feel of him. I was excited to know what it felt like to have him completely holding me. I wanted to know.

But then our moment was torn apart—too much light, a gasp that was not from either of us. Someone had opened the door.

"_Holy—_!"

Ferb and I broke apart like someone had pulled a fire alarm.

"Ginger!" I squealed, staring at the blushing face of my best girlfriend. If _she_ was that red, I didn't want to know the color of _my_ face right now.

"I-I knocked!" she spluttered quickly. "I swear I knocked!"

_Had she? _I looked to Ferb, who—much to my annoyance—didn't nearly half as embarrassed as I thought he should. The Brit shrugged his shoulders at me; neither of us had heard any knocking, but then again we had been a little… distracted_._

"Yeah," I replied, trying not to cringe at the catch in my voice. "We just… we didn't hear you."

Ginger's stunned brown eyes flashed from Ferb to me, and she smiled. It was slow and unnervingly sly, and I decided I _really _didn't want to know what she was thinking right now. Her words from a few days ago—_I ship it_—played in my head, and I resisted the urge to go hide in the corner.

"Sorry I had to interrupt," she sang. "You looked like you were really… _enjoying_ yourselves." I held back my groan. This was _so_ embarrassing. "But your time is up. Past up; you were in there for around eleven minutes."

"What?"

"Good thing I was the one to volunteer to come get you, because after what _I_ just saw, the others would be far crueler. But you have to listen to me."

My best friend tugged me from the closet and—to my utmost mortification—quickly started pulling my displaced clothes back over my skin. When I was completely covered again, she moved to my tousled hair, fixing it with a rapid-fire movement of her fingers.

Meanwhile, she gave a dizzyingly swift explanation of this theory Buford and Baljeet came up with. Everyone else thought I'd concocted some sort of plan with Ferb to make Phineas jealous? They thought Ferb was being some super wingman and helping set me up with his little brother?

That… totally made sense. It absolutely made sense. I couldn't believe it didn't occur to me that they'd jump to that conclusion. But that didn't make it true.

"Now _I _know what's going on here," she motioned between Ferb and I, "but everyone else thinks this is some plan you cooked up."

"Not that I'm complaining, but why were we in here so long?" Ferb asked, leaning against the closet's doorframe. "Did something happen?"

Ginger ceased her motions through my hair, staring at him like he'd just dropped from another planet. Her mouth was hanging open like a fish. I nudged her.

"Uh… Sorry, I—I'm just not used to hearing you talk." She finished fixing my previously make-out affected appearance, standing back to ensure I looked fine. "And we forgot you two for a few minutes because there was a bit of… an incident. But we have to get you back out there before everyone gets suspicious."

Ginger's rushed actions to erase Ferb and I's activities from my person suddenly made sense; she'd been giving me an out, a way to control how much everyone else knew just yet. She was trying to ensure that they wouldn't know that Ferb and I had been… well, that their theory was wrong.

"An incident?" I asked, as she ushered me out the bedroom door. I stared at everyone else now, each of their faces either clearly shocked or completely blank from shock. "What kind of incident? What happened?"

Everyone was silent, and Adyson prodded Baljeet, volunteering him to answer. He stepped forward nervously.

"Well… Phineas…" he began, and those two word wrenched my gut. _Phineas? _What about Phineas? "He… he may have… stormed out after you two left."

Blank. My mind was blank. I needed more.

"Your little plan worked," Buford jumped in. "Dinner Bell totally got jealous when Ferb picked you and realized everything." He moved over to Ferb and held his hand out. Ferb eyed they bully's closed fist hesitantly before moving to return the _bro_ gesture. "And _that_ is why I said you were the best wingman ever earlier."

Could Phineas really have stormed out of here? That just didn't seem possible. I'd buy into the idea that he may not want Ferb and I together, because it might make him uncomfortable if his best friend and brother started dating or something, but jealousy? It couldn't be.

That would mean that to some extent Phineas reciprocated those feelings I'd always had for him, which was something he'd had ample opportunity to do for years. And he'd never gotten jealous when other boys showed interest in me. Granted, I never showed them an ounce of attention back, fawning over Phineas and Phineas alone, but still…

I had to know what was going on. Because jealously just couldn't be it. Phineas didn't like me like that.

"Guys, where's Phineas now?"

"We are not completely sure, but we think he just stepped outside." Baljeet replied. "He said he just needed a minute, but I think it would be a good idea for you to talk to him."

I nodded and made my way to the stairs. As absolutely, gut-wrenchingly terrifying as it was, Baljeet was right. I had to find Phineas, and we had to talk about this. I could swallow down the pain and embarrassment of his rejection with strength. I could hold everything in and then sob my way to acceptance when I was alone.

"Go get 'im!" Adyson called with a giggle.

As I rounded the corner, I got one last look at my friends. They were all anxious, but I could see they were excited. Apparently they had some sense of optimism about what was about to happen that I did not.

I couldn't look at Ferb.

Once upstairs, I didn't have to search very hard to find Phineas; he was standing on the front porch, leaning on its wooden rail. His back was turned to me, and he was looking up at the stars. My legs stopped working, and I couldn't make it any farther than a foot out the door. Should I announce my presence? I hadn't actually thought through what I was going to say… That would have been helpful.

"Hey," he said. He didn't turn around, didn't move at all, but I had no doubt he knew it was me.

"Hi," I replied lamely, but his three letters gave me the courage to take three steps to the rail. He was two feet away, but I imagined the distance was far greater, far more significant. Thinking of it that way might soften the blow.

That was the extent of our conversation for a few minutes, both of us trying to collect our thoughts, trying to find what to say. I failed miserably. So, so miserably.

He, evidently, did not.

"You know, after the two of you left, Irving said something about how you and Ferb talked a lot. He said that you always went to him when you were sad, and that he'd cheer you up."

Irving said that? Did I even want to know how Irving knew that? Probably not…

"At first that upset me," he continued. "I was a little shell-shocked. I couldn't believe you wouldn't come to me when you were sad. I swear, I would have done absolutely anything—" he sighed, redirecting his words. "It… It bothered me that you'd go to Ferb instead, but I guess I get it now. How could you come to me when you were sad when _I_ was the reason you felt that way?"

"Phineas—"

"No, please, let me finish." My favorite redhead still hadn't looked at me, his eyes fixed on the sky above. I couldn't blame him, really; it was perfect tonight—completely clear and speckled with stars. It was easier to look at than each other.

"I'm so sorry, Isabella," he breathed, and I squeezed my eyes closed, hoping such an action would ward off any pain. _Here it comes._ "I'm so sorry I ever hurt you. I'm sorry I was the world's biggest jerk."

Not what I was expecting when he started with "I'm sorry;" I was waiting for the whole string of gentle _buts_ that let me down easy. Although… those could still be coming.

"I swear I never ignored you or how you… felt on purpose. I never meant to hurt you. I never even realized I did. It never occurred to me that you… that you felt that way about me."

That piqued my interest, and I couldn't help but ask, "why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you think you never realized…you know…" I gulped, "how I felt about you?"

Talking about this so openly, after years of keeping it hushed and hidden, was unnatural to say the least—and yet… a little bit alleviating too. I released some of my pent-up Phineas Frustration with each word, letting the air out of a balloon that had been waiting years to pop.

In my periphery vision, I could see Phineas finally look at me, but I was too scared to return his gaze. I didn't want to see what was in his eyes. I didn't want to see the person I've been nearly my entire life unravel.

"Would you look at me?"

I cursed myself for being a stupidly emotional girl. Just that one question, and I had to shift all of my attention to holding in a few tears threatening to topple over the ridges of my eyes. I commanded them back and swallowed hard, internally growling that I _would not_ cry. Not when he hadn't even given me a reason to yet.

I shook my head, feeling incredibly guilty for denying his request, but the sky was so comforting. It was so steady, so sheltering from the turmoil of Phineas' rejection. Bottom line: I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I just couldn't.

"Okay then," he exhaled, and I could imagine him running a hand through his hair. "I suppose I can't blame you for that." He paused, deliberating. "But I don't know how to answer you. I was always told how bad I was with this sort of stuff. Berated with it, really. From Candace, from Buford, the rest of our friends, teasingly from Mom. Even Ferb would make comments about it now and then.

"And I guess… they kind of stuck. Phineas Flynn was bad with romance. It was fine; I accepted it. I never really saw why a girl would have an interest, and was happy with inventing anyway. I was always able to seize the day no matter what, and… and it just never occurred to me."

We fell into silence again, my head swimming with his words. Oh, Phineas… I'd always been so frustrated with him for never realizing how I felt, but how could I possibly be mad at him now? Now that I knew it resulted from this insecurity that everyone else was so oblivious to.

Wow, that was a funny thought.

Phineas was always scrutinized for being oblivious, but everyone else was oblivious to what could have caused it. Everyone had been caught up in the confident perfection that was the younger Flynn-Fletcher boy, that they—_we_—couldn't see that maybe he was _human_. That maybe he could have self-doubt just like the rest of us.

"What I need to know is whether it's all true," he spoke into the quiet. "I mean, I know, but… I need to hear it from you."

I heard him turn toward me, and I closed my eyes. There was nothing more difficult than this. There was a reason I had kept this secret for years! I wasn't the type of person to talk about my feelings like this. Not to him.

"And I want you to look at me," he said after a moment. "Please, Izzy, look at me."

My feet felt like they were stuck in a swamp, but I languidly turned, keeping my eyes shut. One moment of calming, of collecting, and they opened.

_Breathe._

"Yes, Phineas." Damn, I wished my voice could've been steady. "Yes, I've always liked you." His eyes were begging for more information, for total disclosure, and I figured anything else would be pathetic at this point. "I've liked you… pretty much since I met you, but I could never tell you. I just… couldn't."

_Breathe,_ I demanded again, feeling my insides at war to keep the nervousness at bay.

"So I kept it secret for years, which I guess was stupid. I was always so frustrated with you. Always so mad. I didn't tell you because I wanted you to realize on your own. I wanted you to realize because you wanted to. Because you wanted _this._ And that's just not fair to you, especially not now… now that I understand."

I stared into his eyes intently, trying to convey just how important my next words were.

"So I'm sorry about any confusion or awkwardness or anything. I just—I just hope that this won't damage what we have. Please, please don't let it mess up our friendship. I would hate myself, absolutely _hate _myself if I lost you over this. You mean too much to me for things to get messed up because I—"

Phineas leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.

Wait—_Phineas leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine?!_

Only a second passed—a single, short-lived second—before Phineas pulled back, but it only took that instant for my mind to become chaos itself.

_Phineas just kissed me. Phineas just kissed me. What the hell? Phineas just kissed me._

"Sorry," he breathed, seeming just as startled by his action as I was. He was standing upright again, still a couple feet away, and he was staring at my lips with what was possibly the most curious face I'd ever seen. "Sorry… I don't… really know…"

His gaze drew up to my eyes, and I didn't know what he saw there. I felt like the proverbial deer, staring unblinkingly into the headlights that could be _so_ dangerous. I felt like my cheeks grew an apple each and were hot enough to melt the icecaps. _Phineas just kissed me. _What would I look like after something like that?

Whatever my expression, it was enough to draw him in, closing that last step between us that he hadn't before.

"Just so you know, I… I don't know what's come over me." His eyes fell to my lips again—and I felt faint when I realized that his hands were now on my waist.

_Oh god, what was happening?_

"And I don't…" he exhaled. He was so close. He was _so close. _"I have no clue what I'm thinking right now. Not a clue. But… Izzy, I want… to find out."

And he was kissing me again.

Phineas and I were standing on a porch. He was very close to me. His hands were on my waist. His mouth was against mine. I had to tell myself these things again just to make sure this was real. That this was happening right now.

His lips were extraordinarily warm, and the pressure of them against mine was so different… so unexpected. They were soft, tentative and a little uncertain, but lingering all the same.

I realized my hands had somehow come to rest on his upper arms, and I couldn't remember when I'd closed my eyes… Oh god, I was kissing him back.

And… and… if he kissed me, and I was kissing him back… then that meant this _was_ real. It meant _something_ was happening right now. It meant I was a terrible, terrible person. It meant I was the worst best friend, the worst—just _the worst._

But my brain was too frazzled, too burned out and confused, too selfish—and I continued. I was a swirl of contradiction much, much too strong, so I lost myself in the warmth.

I… I was kissing Phineas. My mind wasn't made of sense anymore.

Unlike his quickness to kiss me, he was slow to pull back. My eyes were open before his were, and I watched patiently, waiting for him to return from wherever he'd just gone. I counted all the way to six.

"Whoa," he breathed, and I finally met blue.

Bright, bright blue.

Bright blue that was just… brighter than I expected.

_Not_ dark blue.

_Oh god. _

_Oh, Ferb. Oh god, Ferb._

"Look, I need… I need to think about this," Phineas said, plucking the thoughts straight from my head. "I'm going to go home for the night."

I could only nod; it was all my brain would allow.

"You and Ferb stay as long as you want; I don't mind walking."

Another nod. Phineas started shuffling backwards, toward the path that led to the street, but he seemed unwilling to turn his back on me.

"I'm not trying to run away or anything," he assured, and I wondered when he'd gained the ability to read my mind. "I just need some time to process… this—it's just crazy."

"Crazy?" I whispered. That… sounded about right. Crazy_. _"Oh…"

I don't know what he saw on my face, but he quickly spewed, "not a bad crazy, I promise." He rocked back and forth on his feet. His cheeks burned and he looked away from me timidly. "Crazy in a… in a, _why the heck do I really want to kiss you?_ kind of way. I don't—I don't know how to handle this, Isabella. I just need a little time to think."

"Okay."

With that appallingly anticlimactic response to his words, he turned and—hands in his pocket and shoulders set in that contemplative way of his—he walked down the path to the street. Nine seconds and one glance back later, and he was swallowed up by distance and darkness.

What was happening? What was _happening?_

This… everything had suddenly gone _crazy. _Life was captured with that word, that single, simple word.

And what he said… oh, what he said…

_Why the heck do I really want to kiss you?_

The answer to that seemed fairly obvious. It's one thing to lean forward and peck someone on the lips experimentally. It's another matter altogether to then step in, take them, and kiss them more thoroughly, more meaningfully—with romantic intent. I just… I just… I didn't know what to do with that. Things were too complicated now. Far, _far_ too complicated. Ferb was going to be crushed.

Oh. Ferb was going to be crushed. _Ferb was going to be crushed._

_No, no, no, no, please no._ But no matter what I did… pain. I couldn't control that inevitable fact. I couldn't control—couldn't control…

Crushing panic crept up on me, and I could feel my breakdown from earlier slipping back in. I could feel the anxiety lapping against my skull and fear running its fingers through my hair.

But nothing was worse than the guilt. Guilt for kissing Ferb when I liked Phineas. Guilt for kissing Phineas when I liked Ferb. Guilt for… for surrendering to it. Guilt, guilt, and more guilt—I was a terrible person. A terrible person!

I needed to fix this. I _had_ to fix this, but I didn't know how. Fixing wasn't my forte! That… that was always Ferb's job.

Ferb was the fixer.

It was always my job to break. To break or be broken.

But… I couldn't afford to do that this time. Not yet, at least. No doubt the Troop had been spying on me. They probably knew Phineas kissed me. Which meant Ferb probably knew Phineas kissed me. The worst thing I could do was freak out right now.

I drew up my strength reserves, my determination, my will—and steeled myself. It took every ounce of resolve I had, but I would do this. I would go down into that room with the best damn poker face in history. If not for me, then for Ferb.

Because he deserved so much more from a best friend. Because he deserved a serious, private conversation about this instead of some public meltdown. Because if I did get into this here, I would become a wreck on the floor, and only burden him further. He deserved better, so much better.

So I would hold this in. I would hold my head high. I… I would hold back the panic until he could hold me without scrutiny from unknowing eyes.

I would hold myself together for just a couple more hours.

And then I would fall apart.

* * *

_R/R, please! Reviews are wonderful, wonderful things! Almost as wonderful as you are for even taking the time to read my story! ^.^_

_So… Phineas kissed Izzy. Let the turmoil begin!_

_And next chapter is all Ferb. Let the turmoil continue!_

_Because we've all __already __seen how Izzy can fall apart. And now both boys have a stake in this. _

_How will Ferb react?_

_No promises on another update soon, as I still have to deal with a few family things around here, but you guys are awesome and so understanding. Thanks!_

_Love, Lilly~Belle_


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